The Masked Singer took Us again to the early aughts with an all-time pleasant reveal in the course of the Group B Finals.

The Beets had been unmasked as — spoiler alert — American Idol’s Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken in the course of the Wednesday, Could 1, episode of the Fox actuality competitors collection, and the panelists couldn’t get sufficient.

The duo carried out “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Invoice Medley and Jennifer Warnes with Gumball in an try to save lots of themselves within the remaining moments of the present however had been finally unsuccessful regardless of not one of the judges precisely guessing their identities.

“It’s been superb, we had fun. It’s numerous enjoyable and the viewers is superb. It’s good to see everybody, it’s time,” Studdard mentioned, whereas Aiken gushed over being in comparison with a few of the choose’s guesses like Boyz II Males and Okay-Ci & JoJo.

Aiken and Studdard, each 45, competed on season 2 of Idol, which aired in 2003. Studdard was topped the victor, however the slim margin of his win — simply 134,000 votes — induced controversy on the time. Since then, nevertheless, the 2 singers have remained mates. In 2023, they launched into a joint tour celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their time on Idol.

Final yr, Aiken admitted that he didn’t prefer it when attendees informed him they voted for him or vice versa.

“We sometimes will see any individual within the viewers with an outdated Ruben shirt, like a girl final evening … and I joked along with her,” he informed The Washington Put up. “However I don’t even prefer it once we do a meet-and-greet and somebody says, ‘I voted for you,’ when [Ruben] is within the room. It pisses me off! And if somebody says that to him, then [he] higher be pissed too.”

Studdard countered that interactions like that didn’t trouble him as a result of followers are the rationale they had been capable of do the anniversary tour within the first place.

“It doesn’t make me mad,” he defined. “As a result of we wouldn’t be right here if any individual hadn’t voted for him, and vice versa, so he must settle down.”

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In earlier weeks, Masked Singer panelists guessed that Beets may very well be Arrested Improvement alums Jason Bateman and Will Arnett or Solely Murders within the Constructing stars Steve Martin and Martin Brief. In hindsight, nevertheless, all clues pointed to Studdard and Aiken.

The 40 million eyes on Beets trace referred to the truth that almost 40 million folks tuned in to observe the season 2 finale of Idol. The duo additionally talked about the truth that the world was decided to pit them towards each other although they see themselves as brothers.

“We don’t get to decide on our household. Most household is predetermined by blood; some are predestined by God to come back into our lives,” Aiken wrote through Instagram in December 2022. “I’ve received one brother who was born into my household and one brother who the great Lord launched me to in 2003. … In case you have the blessing of understanding Ruben Studdard, you perceive: There aren’t many people extra selfless or gracious or loyal than he. America fell in love with him as a result of his performances made them really feel completely satisfied and welcomed; that’s who he’s in actual life too.”

The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.