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From pop royalty to surprise reunions, “Lip Sync Battle” loved pulling out jaw-dropping cameo moments that turned already wild performances into instant TV history. Join us as we revisit the most unforgettable guest appearances, including Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey and more! Which surprise entrance had you screaming at the screen? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most jaw-dropping famous
00:09faces who turned an already over-the-top lip-sync battle performance into must-see TV.
00:22Number 20. Johnny Galecki. Josh Gad was already doing the absolute most,
00:27and then the bit somehow found another gear. Facing Kaley Cuoco in season 2,
00:32the Frozen actor performed the Divinals' I Touch Myself dressed as Donald Trump.
00:44Just when the audience thought they had hit peak chaos, Cuoco's Big Bang Theory co-star Johnny
00:49Galecki crashed the number as another Trump, and this one came with a sombrero. Then he and Gad
00:54sealed the fever dream with a full-on kiss.
01:01It was weird, committed, and impossible to forget. Exactly the kind of unhinged cameo this show lived for.
01:13Number 19. Jennifer Grey. MCU actor Clark Gregg went all in for his lip-sync battle with Hailey Atwell.
01:20Woo!
01:28Performing Britney Spears' Toxic, the Marvel actor nodded to the pop icon's blue flight attendant look
01:33from the music video and worked the airline set like a man fully aware that subtlety had left the building.
01:45Then, Jennifer Grey popped up as a suited passenger, giving the routine an instant wink.
01:57Grey was Gregg's wife at the time, and their playful mid-routine kiss made the whole thing feel
02:02even more entertaining and extra memorable.
02:04Number 18. Ray Parker Jr.
02:07Lil Rel Howery didn't need to overcomplicate his lip-sync battle performance to make an impression.
02:19Going against Naya Rivera, he leans straight into the goofy fun of Ghostbusters,
02:23performing in-costume while dancers helped turn the stage into a full-on throwback party.
02:35The number got its biggest reaction when Ray Parker Jr. walked out to join him.
02:39That reveal worked because it wasn't just a famous face showing up for applause,
02:43it was the voice behind the actual 1984 theme song stepping into the bit.
02:52Suddenly, the performance had the original Ghostbusters stamp of approval,
02:56and Lil Rel Howery looked thrilled to have him there.
02:59Number 17. Brendan Urie.
03:01Cassidy Pope chose the perfect song for anyone who survived the mid-2000s
03:05with side bangs and emotional eyeliner.
03:13During her lip-sync battle against Dustin Lynch,
03:16she performed Panic at the Disco's I Write Sins, Not Tragedies,
03:19leaning into the theatrical drama that made the track so instantly recognizable.
03:24Then, Brendan Urie stepped out himself,
03:26and The Room basically became a tiny emo time capsule.
03:35Urie didn't just wave and disappear, either.
03:38He matched Pope's theatrical energy,
03:40making the whole number feel bigger without stealing it from her.
03:43The Room was hyped, to say the least.
03:46It's much better to face these kinds of things
03:48with a sense of hope.
03:55Number 16. Naughty by Nature.
03:58Samira Wiley kept things high energy for her lip-sync battle against Laverne Cox,
04:02choosing Naughty by Nature's OPP for a performance built around crowd participation
04:06and old-school party energy.
04:15She worked the stage with confidence,
04:17letting the track's call-and-response hook do exactly what it was designed to do.
04:21Then, the real Naughty by Nature came out,
04:23much to the joy of fans.
04:25From then on, the routine shifted from tribute to team-up.
04:29Naughty by Nature!
04:35Wiley looked completely at home beside them,
04:38turning OPP into a playful stage takeover rather than a simple throwback.
04:50Number 15. Rachel Platten.
04:52During an epic 2017 episode of Lip Sync Battle featuring an Orange is the New Black showdown,
04:58Uzo Aduba brought down the house by performing Fight Song.
05:00This is my fight song. Take back my life song.
05:06The number took an emotional turn when the original singer of the hit anthem,
05:10Rachel Platten, made a surprise cameo on stage.
05:13Aduba couldn't hide her excitement,
05:14and the two powerhouses joined forces,
05:16matching each other's passion to deliver a duet-style lip-sync moment.
05:20I'll be strong. I'll be strong.
05:23I'll be strong. I'll fight song.
05:25And I don't really care. I'm nobody else.
05:28It completely electrified the crowd and hosts LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen,
05:32cementing it as one of the show's most genuinely uplifting and memorable star crossovers.
05:44Number 14. Serena Williams.
05:46In 2019, the tennis GOAT pulled off an iconic double-agent cameo on Lip Sync Battle
05:52during a match-up between married couple Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick.
05:55Decker first shocked her husband by bringing out Serena Williams for Beyoncé's Sari.
05:59Wearing a black leotard reminiscent of her look from the original music video,
06:03Williams stormed the stage,
06:05completely leveling the crowd and sending co-host Chrissy Teigen into a frenzy.
06:17In a hilarious twist,
06:19Roddick also secretly booked the superstar for his performance of Bruno Mars and Cardi B's Finesse.
06:32With Serena somehow playing for both teams,
06:35the couple showdown ended with one clear winner,
06:37the fans.
06:50Olivia Munn went full squad mode for her lip-sync battle against Kevin Hart,
06:54using Taylor Swift's Bad Blood as an excuse to stage a mini-action movie takeover.
07:04The performance had weapon props, fierce poses, and a lineup that included Chanel Eman,
07:10Charlotte McKinney, Jamie King, and WWE legend Big Show.
07:15Once he stepped out, the bit instantly became larger than life.
07:29He brought the kind of presence you simply cannot fake,
07:31making Munn's already stacked squad feel genuinely unstoppable.
07:35She ultimately won the episode, and with backup like that, the victory felt pretty well-earned.
07:50Number 12. Cindy Crawford
07:52Zachary Quinto did not come to play in his lip-sync battle against Zoe Saldana.
07:56For his performance of George Michael's Freedom 90,
08:00Quinto threw it back to the golden era of supermodels by recruiting a true icon for the ultimate cameo.
08:10The arena lost its collective mind when Cindy Crawford appeared on stage inside a bathtub,
08:15perfectly recreating her legendary imagery from the track's original 1990 music video.
08:27She then stepped out in a crisp white button-down to strut alongside the actor,
08:32delivering a dose of pure, timeless glamour that stole the night.
08:46Number 11. Megan Trainor
08:48Julianne Hough brought total pop-star energy to her lip-sync battle against Derek Hough,
08:52with Megan Trainor's All About That Bass.
08:54The song gave her plenty to work with.
08:56Cheeky attitude, bouncy choreography,
08:59and a crowd-friendly hook that was everywhere at the time.
09:09Then, Trainor herself joined the routine,
09:12turning the performance into an even bigger pop spectacle.
09:20The chart-topping artist danced and lip-synced right alongside Julianne,
09:24giving the number a perfectly timed surprise boost.
09:27Derek looked genuinely caught off-guard,
09:30and honestly, who could blame him?
09:31With an assist like that,
09:33Julianne's bragging rights victory felt inevitable.
09:35I'm all about that bass, about that bass, no trouble.
09:39I'm all about that bass, about that bass.
09:44Number 10. Nicole Scherzinger
09:54In Season 3 of Lip-Sync Battle,
09:56Modern Family star Sarah Hyland faced off against NBA player DeAndre Jordan.
10:00Each contestant sang two songs,
10:02with Hyland capping off her performance
10:04with a performance of Don'tcha by the Pussycat Dolls.
10:14Flanked by a crew of backup dancers,
10:16Hyland put on quite the show,
10:18steaming up the stage with a downright sexy performance.
10:21Just when the audience thought it couldn't get any hotter,
10:23who should appear but Nicole Scherzinger
10:25of the Pussycat Dolls herself?
10:34As she and Hyland finished the song together,
10:37all DeAndre Jordan could do was look on in disbelief.
10:40Suffice it to say, Hyland walked away victorious.
10:43Number 9. Paula Abdul
10:52To kick off Season 2,
10:54Channing Tatum battled his then-wife,
10:55actress and dancer Jenna Dewan.
10:57The competition ended in a tie,
10:59partly because both parties brought a celebrity guest to help them out.
11:03More on that in a minute.
11:04For her first song,
11:06Dewan performed Cold-Hearted by Paula Abdul,
11:08and boy did she ever use every tool in her arsenal.
11:11Dewan's dancing roots were on full display,
11:14as she absolutely nailed the routine.
11:22However, the performance got turned up to 11
11:25when Dewan was joined on stage by Abdul,
11:27who clearly hasn't lost a step
11:29since dropping Cold-Hearted on the World in 1989.
11:44Number 8. Mary J. Blige
11:54To cap off Season 1,
11:56Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson did battle in a two-part episode,
11:59which featured both actors impersonating a slew of iconic musical artists.
12:03In part 1,
12:04Henson delivered an earth-shattering version
12:06of Mary J. Blige's 2007 hit single, Just Fine.
12:15Dressed in all black and rocking a blonde wig,
12:18just like Blige did in the music video,
12:20Henson absolutely killed it.
12:22However,
12:23the crowd was justifiably stunned
12:25when Blige appeared on stage with Henson
12:27to finish off the track.
12:37How Henson didn't walk away
12:38with the crown in this battle,
12:40we'll never understand.
12:41I won't change my life,
12:44my life just fine.
12:50Number 7. The Backstreet Boys.
13:00In this Season 2 battle,
13:01model Gigi Hadid went toe-to-toe
13:03with Teen Wolf actor Tyler Posey.
13:05After a spirited rendition of
13:07That's Not My Name by the Ting Tings,
13:09Hadid went for the jugular,
13:11dropping an epic impersonation
13:13of the Backstreet Boys' 1999 smash hit
13:15Larger Than Life.
13:26With the crowd already going nuts,
13:29AJ McClain and Nick Carter emerged
13:30from out of nowhere to help Hadid
13:32bring the performance home.
13:43Both Backstreet Boys members did their best
13:45to whip the crowd into an even bigger frenzy
13:47and all but solidified the win for Hadid,
13:50our only beef,
13:51that the rest of the boys weren't there as well.
13:53Ah, c'est la vie.
13:55Number 6. TLC.
14:01One of the best things about Lip Sync Battle
14:04is that it pits celebrity friends
14:05against each other in a competition
14:07of epic, if somewhat goofy, proportions.
14:10Take this Season 2 episode,
14:11in which friends and Star Trek co-stars
14:13Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto
14:15clashed in a battle that featured
14:17multiple celebrity guest surprises.
14:26To cap off her performance,
14:28Saldana decided to perform
14:30No Scrubs by TLC.
14:31Honestly, she would have probably beaten Quinto
14:34even if she hadn't been joined on stage
14:35by the two surviving members of the girl group,
14:38Tian T-Boz Watkins
14:39and Rosanda Chili Thomas.
14:51Saldana was nothing short of brilliant,
14:54but in the end,
14:55she still paid her respects to her musical idols,
14:58bowing down before them
14:59at the end of her performance.
15:06Number 5. Stevie Wonder.
15:13For its 2016 live special,
15:16Lip Sync Battle highlighted
15:17the lip syncing talents of Terry Crews,
15:19Olivia Munn, Michael Phelps,
15:21and John Legend.
15:22The special featured a handful
15:23of surprise appearances,
15:25though none was quite as surprising
15:26as when musical icon Stevie Wonder
15:28joined John Legend on stage
15:30for a performance of Outkast's Hey Ya.
15:38The two wonderful legends,
15:40pun intended,
15:41delivered a pitch-perfect rendition
15:43of the classic 2000s track,
15:45even nailing the outfit
15:46seen in the song's music video,
15:48which was based on the Beatles'
15:491964 appearance
15:50on The Ed Sullivan Show.
15:52Legend's Andre 3000 is spot on,
15:54but it's wonder who garners the most praise
15:57at the end of the performance,
15:58and deservedly so.
16:07Number 4. Mariah Carey.
16:16In Season 5,
16:18dual-triple-threats Darren Criss
16:19and longtime Mariah Carey collaborator Jermaine Dupree teamed up to give Lip Sync Battle fans
16:24a Mariah Carey tribute for the ages.
16:27They performed a trio of iconic Carey tracks, including Heartbreaker, Shake It Off, and Emotions.
16:36For Emotions, Chris and Dupree performed together,
16:39which was already a pretty big surprise for audience members.
16:42However, they nearly blew the roof off the building
16:45when they dropped a giant white curtain to reveal the queen herself
16:48sitting on a giant pink and white swing.
16:51Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for the legendary Mariah Carey!
17:03Carey may not have done much, but the excitement in the building was palpable nonetheless.
17:29In this Season 2 battle, perennial TV stars Eva Longoria and Hayden Panettiere
17:33squared off in a Lip Sync Battle that will not soon be forgotten.
17:45Both women started off strong with renditions of Low by Flo Rida
17:49and One Way or Another by Blondie respectively.
17:52However, round two saw both of them taking it to a whole nother level.
18:05While Longoria's version of Anaconda was amazing,
18:08we simply cannot get enough of Panettiere's performance of Lady Marmalade.
18:12Probably because Christina Aguilera joined her on stage halfway through
18:15and straight up stole the show.
18:17Could say nothing, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama,!
18:27Aguilera went all out for her performance.
18:29Shaking her hair, dropping it low, and even caressing Panettiere's legs.
18:34We are speechless.
18:36Let's see.
18:37Let's go.
18:39Oh!
18:43Oh!
18:47Number 2, Jennifer Lopez.
18:56We're going all the way back to Season 1, Episode 4 for this one.
19:01During a battle with Lip Sync Battle co-creator John Krasinski,
19:04Anna Kendrick decided she was playing for Keeps.
19:14After a spirited rendition of Steal My Girl by One Direction,
19:17Kendrick brought out the big guns.
19:20The petite actress decided to tackle booty by Jennifer Lopez.
19:23And boy, did she ever nail it.
19:25The look on Krasinski's face as Kendrick struts onto the dance floor says a thousand words,
19:30but is nothing compared to the look he sports when J.Lo emerges from backstage
19:33and joins Kendrick for the end of the performance.
19:49It was the first time the show featured a celebrity guest surprise
19:52and the crowd was understandably shocked.
20:02Lip Sync Battle has had a ton of awesome celebrity guest surprises,
20:06though none has been bigger than this one.
20:08For years, the show's executive producer Casey Patterson
20:12had been trying to get Beyoncé to make an appearance, but to no avail.
20:22However, when Channing Tatum said he wanted to use Run the World Girls
20:26for one of his performances,
20:28Patterson knew that this was her chance to land Queen B.
20:30The audience, not to mention Jenna Dewan, Chrissy Teigen, and LL Cool J,
20:34were justifiably flummoxed when Tatum emerged in full Beyoncé regalia.
20:46However, nothing could have prepared them for what was about to come next,
20:50Queen B herself.
20:59The image of Tatum and Beyoncé dancing side-by-side will never, ever get old.
21:04Which surprise guest had the best stage presence?
21:07Let us know in the comments.
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