Jack Wagner Opens Up About Honoring Ozzy Osbourne on “The Masked Singer”, Reveals Connection to Sharon Osbourne (Exclusive)
Jack Wagner Opens Up About Honoring Ozzy Osbourne on “The Masked Singer”, Reveals Connection to Sharon Osbourne (Exclusive)
Liza EsquibiasThu, March 5, 2026 at 9:19 PM UTC
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Jack Wagner in 2022 (left); Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne in 2018 (right)Credit: Emily Assiran/Getty; Ian West/PA Images via Getty
The identity of the Eggplant on The Masked Singer is no longer a mystery!
During the Wednesday, March 4 episode of the reality competition show, which was deemed "Ozzfest Night” in honor of the late Ozzy Osbourne, Jack Wagner revealed he has been behind the Eggplant costume all season. The When Calls the Heart star, 66, who was once a musician in the ‘80s, tells PEOPLE that he felt right at home when he took the stage.
“It was very theatrical, and not a lot of people know that I'm kind of a thespian,” Wagner explains. “I've done a ton of theater around the country and on Broadway. So, for me, that's what's lit me up, is being back onstage and performing. Although albeit, I was in this big eggplant, potato head, cumbersome [costume].”
Wagner made his debut as the Eggplant in week 2 with “Rocket Man" by Elton John. He then returned in week 5 to perform "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz, and again for week 9, when he sang Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer” for Ozzfest Night.
Jack Wagner as Eggplant on 'The Masked Singer;' Ozzy Osbourne in 2024Credit: Michael Becker / FOX; Kevin Mazur/Getty
“When I got to sing ‘Rocket Man,’ forget about it,” Wagner quips. “I've been an Elton John fan, that's kind of my generation, and I felt my vocal was pretty good. So, to nail ‘Rocket Man’ out of the box was awesome for me.”
Linkin Park, on the other hand, “is not my wheelhouse,” says Wagner, highlighting the performance that led to his elimination.
“For me to try to do a Linkin Park song, I really had to bust my butt. I tried to jump. I tried to add as much White-man crazy rock voice as I could. I tried to do my best,” he admits, later adding: “I tried to really focus on the vocals and the pitch, because it's real important. But once I started doing Linkin Park and jumping around, I'm like, ‘Forget it, I'm just going to rock out here and let it be what it is.’ "
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Despite his journey on The Masked Singer ending, Wagner says he is glad he was able to be part of a show dedicated to the legendary Ozzy, who died at age 76 in July 2025. His daughter, Kelly Osbourne, even joined the show as a guest judge for the occasion.
“Ozzfest [was] a great honor to Ozzy Osborne,” Wagner notes, sharing that he also has a history with the rocker’s wife, Sharon Osbourne. “I know Sharon through doing The Talk, and she did a guest appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful — we did a bed scene together. So, I had that connection. It was a cute thing with Julie [Chen] and her, because I was coming on the show for an interview. So, I knew her, and that was my connection to Ozzy Osbourne.”
Jack Wagner in 2018; Sharon Osbourne on Feb. 1, 2026Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty; John Shearer/Getty
In 1996, Ozzy and Sharon created Ozzfest, which was a touring metal festival that helped launch the careers of several bands, including Linkin Park. During an episode of The Osbournes Podcast in 2023, the former Black Sabbath guitarist opened up about the event.
“It was bloody chaos — but in the best way,” Ozzy recalled at the time. “Every night was a party, and every band brought their A-game. We just let the music speak for itself.”
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The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. on Fox and is available to stream on Hulu and on Disney+ with the Hulu on Disney+ bundle.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
