The judges on the reality series The Masked Singer were treated to an appearance by a true living legend this week, with judge Ken Jeong calling the unmasking of a singing gnome "our greatest reveal ever."
The reality singing competition—where celebrities sing while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities—kicked off its ninth season with an appearance by a man in a gnome costume.
The man in question performed a moving rendition of the late Frank Sinatra's version of the song "When You're Smiling."
You can hear the performance below.
But the man in the gnome costume was eliminated which meant he had to reveal himself.
The man behind the mask?
None other than the legendary actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke, best known for his Emmy-winning performances on The Dick Van Dyke Show and his roles in the stage production and screen adaptation of Bye Bye Birdie as well as the Disney musical Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The moment Van Dyke was revealed prompted judge Nicole Scherzinger—a respected musician in her own right who has spent much of her career performing in musical theater—to burst into tears.
You can watch the reveal below.
Fans loved every minute of the reveal.
They couldn't help but share their appreciation for the legendary actor who shows no signs of stopping at 97 years old.
\u201cThe world when Dick van Dyke is revealed as masked singer #dickvandyke #maskedsinger\u201d— Barbara Velasco (@Barbara Velasco) 1676565682
\u201c@superTV247 @AlwaysDoingMii I can\u2019t watch The Masked Singer, but it would have been worth it to see Dick Van Dyke. He brings a smile to my face every time. I\u2019ve loved him since I was a kid!\u201d— s\u1d1c\u1d18\u1d07\u0280 \u1d1b\u1d20 (@s\u1d1c\u1d18\u1d07\u0280 \u1d1b\u1d20) 1676545965
\u201cdick van dyke doing the masked singer at almost 100 years of age just warms my heart so much \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d an actual legend\u201d— Tom \ud83d\udd11 (@Tom \ud83d\udd11) 1676552184
\u201cSo Dick Van Dyke was on The Masked Singer last night.\n\nI'm not sure what's more impressive: him being 97, or him being in great physical shape...\u201d— CaptainRaccoonWhitly (@CaptainRaccoonWhitly) 1676566956
\u201cThe Masked Singer is truly horrible television but it's pretty amusing to see the reveal videos where you have something like these girls reacting like this to Dick Van Dyke.\u201d— Stephen Douglas (@Stephen Douglas) 1676556380
\u201cDick Van Dyke was just on the Masked Singer singing and dancing...at 97 years old...\n\nHe was in college when Biden was born... Let that sink in.\n\nAbsolute LEGEND\u201d— Katie Thulin (@Katie Thulin) 1676514387
\u201cFor the record if I was in the Masked Singer audience and Dick Van Dyke was revealed I would\u2019ve been screaming like 14-year-old me at an NSYNC concert\u201d— Paul Mescal Oscar nominee \ud83c\udfac\ud83e\udddc\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f (@Paul Mescal Oscar nominee \ud83c\udfac\ud83e\udddc\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2640\ufe0f) 1676565255
\u201cMay I just take a moment to say how absolutely amazing #DickVanDyke is! Singing 'When You're Smiling' AND a very special song from #MaryPoppins on The Masked Singer....at the age of 97. \nI love Dick Van Dyke! \u2764\u201d— Anita Bischoff (@Anita Bischoff) 1676564068
Van Dyke later told People he was "positive" the judges wouldn't be able to guess his identity, which no doubt made his surprise appearance all the more a treat for viewers.
He also said because of the secrecy of the show, he never got to meet the crew—and would love to return to do just that.
"From the time I got out of the car, my head was covered, so I never saw anybody. I wanted to go back and meet them in person because I really never got to meet anybody."
"They led me around so I wouldn't fall down. But I was blindfolded the whole time."
Van Dyke said he ended up performing a Sinatra song at the suggestion of his wife, Arlene.
"They wanted me to do something current and I know nothing from rock. So we picked out one which typifies me. She's the one that came up with it and I liked the song, too."
In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, the beloved star joked some people probably "thought I was dead" and his decision to appear on The Masked Singer might be "the weirdest thing I've ever done."
Van Dyke said his costume had just "two little peepholes" for him to see through and it's "a good thing" he doesn't have claustrophobia.
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