"Gotta be AJ Michalka"— The Masked Singer fans praise Strawberry Shortcake's performance

The Masked Singer season 12 aired episode 9 this week on November 28, 2024. The segment was initially set to air on November 27, 2024, but was delayed due to Thanksgiving Day celebrations.

The episode brought back three Group C contestants, Strawberry Shortcake, Royal Knight, and Sherlock Hound. Two masked contestants were eliminated while Strawberry Shortcake made it to the season 12 Quarterfinals, where she will compete against Buffalo, Goo, and Wasp.

Fans of the reality competition took to social media to react to the latest episode and praised Strawberry Shortcake's performance. They also attempted to guess which celebrity was behind the mask. A majority of the fans felt it was AJ Michalka.

"Strawberry Shortcake gotta be AJ Michalka," one person wrote on X.

"#strawberryshortcakemask is AJ Michalka of @alyandaj. Mouse ears (Mickey Mouse) refers to being a Disney star. Cow refers to her role in the Disney movie Cow Belles. Horse refers to her role in Secretariat," a fan commented.

"I am agreeing with those who think that Stawberry Shortcake is AJ Michalka. She was on Disney Channel and in the DCOM Cow Belles," a tweet read.

Fans of The Masked Singer season 12 reacted to Strawberry Shortcake's win.

"STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE IS GOING TO THE QUARTER FINALS! I BELIEVE IN YOU AJ!!" a person wrote.

The Mouse Ears = Disney Original Movie Cow Belles. AJ Michalka is Strawberry Shortcake," a fan commented.

"Congrats to Strawberry Shortcake! Can’t wait to see who Sherlock Hound is cuz I’m stumped on him," a tweet read.

Fans of The Masked Singer season 12 further said:

"The strawberry shortcake is moving on to the quarterfinals," a person wrote.

"I knew The Strawberry Shortcake won the battle royale," a fan commented.

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"We sang together constantly"— The Masked Singer season 12 contestant Strawberry Shortcake dedicates performance to her mother

In The Masked Singer season 12 episode 9, Strawberry Shortcake was the first contestant on stage. Ahead of her performance, she revealed more clues about her identity to help the judges make their guesses.

The celebrity contestant stated that Thanksgiving was one of her favorite holidays and that she had some "pretty sweet" memories of the holiday. The Masked Singer season 12 cast member revealed that she was once in the Thanksgiving Day parade, however, her fondest memory was being in the kitchen with her mother.

"Growing up, we sang together constantly, like at the top of our lungs. We'd harmonizenand she had the most beautiful voice," she added.

The Masked Singer season 12 contestant said her mother gave her the "guts" to go for her dreams, even when she was scared. The cast member added that she was "so thankful." However, the contestant added that she saw her mother lose her confidence to sing over the years and called it "heartbreaking."

She added that she missed her voice and would do anything to hear her mother sing again. She dedicated her performance to her mother and hoped her mother would find the courage to sing again. Strawberry Shortcake sang I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack and earned praise from the judges and the studio audience.

Rita Ora said she was "speechless" and called her performance "unbelievable." Her additional "Thanksgiving Giving clue" included Mouse Ears. The contestant chimed in on the clue and said they were "instrumental" to how she got her start.

Robin Thicke said he believed Kelsea Ballerini, while Rita guessed Hailee Steinfeld. Ken said he believed Selena Gomez was behind the mask.

Although the contestant's identity was not revealed, fans online believed the cast member was AJ Michalka and praised her performance.

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Episodes of The Masked Singer season 12 airs new episodes weekly on Wednesdays on Fox.