Howie Mandel Thinks Beyoncé Will Reach Out to Him After His Turn as Rock Lobster on 'The Masked Singer'

Rock Lobster rocked the stage on The Masked Singer Wednesday, putting his unique spin on ABBA's "S.O.S."

Unfortunately, the studio audience voted for Rock Lobster to the first contestant eliminated on ABBA Night, so he popped off the crusty red head and unmasked as comedian Howie Mandel, whom judge Ken Jeong had name-checked shortly before Mandel's reveal.

"I'm disappointed I didn't make it all the way to the finale," the America's Got Talent judge, 67, tells PEOPLE. "I did a lot of preparation and I felt that my voice and my moves are a gift. And the gift was returned."

Season 9 of The Masked Singer introduced a bell that the panel — which also includes Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke — can ring to save up to three contestants in the first round. But they didn't save Mandel.

"I think they're going to regret it," the Howie Mandel Does Stuff Podcast cohost quips. "I think they're going to think, 'Oh my God, we didn't know what we had.' Sometimes when something is so good, you don't realize it until it's gone."

Mandel jokingly reveals how get got into character as Rock Lobster, why he calls being inside the costume his "happy place" and where he sees his singing career going from here.

Why did you go on The Masked Singer?
HOWIE MANDEL: I wanted to sing, I wanted to dance, I wanted to share. I hope people smile. But I hope they realized, "Hey, he's so much more than just a judge. He's so much more than just a host. That man can move. That man can sing. That man is the whole package." I took it very seriously. The night before, I bathed in hot butter just [to] get into character.

Do you feel like that helped?
It didn't help the singing. It didn't help the dancing. But I got to tell you, my skin is so moisturized. It's like a baby's bottom now.

You could segue into beauty TikToks.
Well, that's why I had so much faith in myself. I sing and I dance on TikTok. I have 10.6 million followers. I thought, "Oh my God. It's time to unveil me on a national broadcast platform." And lo and behold, I was booted. One song and I'm out. The perfect song, I might say.

Why did you think "S.O.S." was a good song choice for you?
S.O.S, help! I'm screaming, "Help!"

You've been open about your struggles with anxiety and OCD. From a mental health standpoint, how was it being inside the costume?
Any time you conceal me in something that has never been worn before by anybody else, and it is impossible to touch things and even hard to breathe the air that other people are breathing, I'm happy. I was happy as a lobster. I was sweating. I couldn't see, but I was content. I love to be locked away and not able to touch. Yes, that was my happy place.

Maybe you should start dressing as Rock Lobster in real life.
I tried! I asked them, "Can I keep this suit, please?" And they said, "No." So they just rip your head off and they send you home in your sweaty undergarments.

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What was it like being on the other side of the stage as a contestant instead of a judge or host? Did it give you a new perspective about America's Got Talent contestants?
It did. Especially when I got cut. I really was hurt in getting cut. And I felt, "Oh my gosh. This must be what it feels like on my other show." Empathy is a good thing to have. And this allowed me to kind of experience what I've been empathetic about. But I really was disappointed in getting cut. I thought I was fantastic.

There's nothing you would've done differently?
Oh, no, no. I hit every mark, every note. I'm not going to point any fingers or claws or whatever at anybody. I thought that sometimes the dancers weren't able to keep up with me. I thought that sometimes the music, the actual musical track behind my voice, missed some of the notes and were off-key. But as far as my performance, my voice was perfection, my moves were perfection. It's hard to keep up with perfection. And therefore, I think that's what eventually got me cut. Not my fault. If it was just a solo and there was no dancers and it was a capella, I think I'd still be there in the competition.

Everything's a learning experience.
It really is. And I've learned a lot. And I think a lot of people learned a lot. When people watch this episode — and they should watch not only this episode, but they should play it back and they should play it back for their children and for their children's children. Because it just shows when you have a dream, dreams do come true if you pursue it. I pursued it, and I got it. And with all the things that I have done in my career and all the successes that I have enjoyed, the ability to sing my heart out inside a 30-pound crustacean, it happened for me. And it could happen for you too. Dreams do come true. I've done it all. But Masked Singer: pinnacle.

Who of your famous friends do you expect to hear from about your performance?
If I had to guess, the first call I'm going to get is probably Beyoncé.

Asking you to come on the tour with her this summer?
She's already made some commitments, but oh my God, I would put other things aside if she's interested. And then I also think that the NFL will be looking at me for next year for halftime.

So you feel like this performance will really resonate?
You don't go in and go, "Oh, this is going to be viral. Everybody's going to love this." But then you do it and you go, "Oh my God, this was viral. Everybody loves this." I think I've created dance moves that didn't exist before and even sounds musically that haven't existed before. I think people are going to record that and try to do duets and have a Rock Lobster Challenge. I'm a trailblazer, and I think a lot of people are going to get on that trail. And I think I have just created a path for our future singers and dancers on TikTok and on television and on Spotify and wherever you get your music.

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The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.