At the end of The Masked Dancer‘s season 1 semifinal, the Zebra was voted out of the competition. Before they were sent home, it was time for them to take off their mask, revealing their secret celebrity identity.
BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW.
The Zebra was revealed to be…
…Oscar De La Hoya!
De La Hoya is a former professional boxer and Olympic gold medal winner.
Of his time competing on The Masked Dancer, De La Hoya told Craig Robinson, “It was probably the best experience I’ve ever had.” He also remarked “I think being the Zebra is a lot tougher” than being in the ring.
The Panelists Tuned in to Hints That the Zebra Was a Professional Boxer
For their final predictions, Ken Jeong guessed The Miz, Ashley Tisdale guessed Conor McGregor, Paula Abdul guessed Floyd Mayweather, and Brian Austin Green and guest panelist Will Arnett guessed Oscar De La Hoya.
While only Green and Arnett were correct in their guesses, the panelists were all on the right track in guessing that the Zebra gained his celebrity status as a fighter. With each of his performances, the panelists pointed out that the Zebra seemed light on his feet the way a professional fighter would have to be in the ring.
During the Zebra’s semifinals clue package, he was featured wearing boxes on his hands, which the panelists agreed was a clear hint that the celebrity is a boxer. They also noted that the engagement ring which was highlighted as an important clue could have been a reference to a boxing ring.
A Number of Clues Pointed to De La Hoya as the Zebra Throughout the Season
Throughout the season, Zebra’s clue packages and performances offered a number of hints suggesting that his celebrity identity was Oscar De La Hoya.
During the semifinals, especially, there were a handful of clear signs that De La Hoya was the man behind the mask.
Zebra talked about spreading awareness and seeking a cure for the disease that took a loved one from him when he was younger. De La Hoya lost his mother from breast cancer right before the Olympic Games; she was the loved one referenced in Zebra’s semifinals clue package.
One of De La Hoya’s clues was a graham cracker because he has a Grammy nomination.
The number “510” appeared on a license plate; De La Hoya is 5’10” tall.
Before Zebra took off his mask, the judges each got to ask him one final question. From their questions, we learned:
– millions of people have watched him on TV
– he performs a lot in Las Vegas
– he has a special lady in his life
– he is about 4 inches taller than Ken Jeong
– he has a major award on his mantle
Zebra gave his Valentine to Paula Abdul, who he said gave him a shoutout on social media. The two posed for a selfie together, which Abdul posted.
New episodes of The Masked Dancer air on Wednesday nights at 8/7c on FOX.
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