Natalie Imbruglia has been crowned the winner of The Masked Singer.
The 47-year-old singer, whose hits include Torn and Wrong Impression, performed in disguise as Panda throughout the series and managed to deceive the judging panel.
She beat singer Charlotte Church, who was disguised as Mushroom, during a closely fought final studio audience vote.
And our WINNER is... PANDA aka @NatImbruglia 😍🥇 👑 #MaskedSingerUK pic.twitter.com/LEl3Zx7lt3
— The Masked Singer UK (@MaskedSingerUK) February 12, 2022
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After being unmasked, she said: “I just loved being Panda. When I put the costume on I would just become Panda.”
Reflecting on how she managed to avoid being identified, she said: “I stayed in an American accent the whole time so if I sound weird that’s because I have been flipping.
“I just had so much fun. I made friends with a traffic cone and a mushroom. This is an amazing show and I am thrilled to have been a part of it.”
The celebrity panel’s incorrect guesses included Jennifer Hudson, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens, Lea Michele from Glee and even adventurer Bear Grylls.
Three anonymous stars competed in the final, with Markus Feehily first to be revealed as Robobunny after losing out in the first public vote of the night.
“Being hidden inside the costume gave me a chance to forget about what I look like for the first time in my career,” he said.
Then Welsh classical singer Church was revealed following an impressive performance of Flower Duet from Leo Delibes’ opera Lakme.
I absolutely loved being your Mushroom, what a joy to be a part of something so focused on singing, which I love! Congrats to the darling Panda and everyone else who took part! 🍄💗🍄💗 #maskedsingeruk pic.twitter.com/R1rg3U4wWH
— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) February 12, 2022
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Saturday’s show also saw Panda deliver a sassy performance of Blank Space by Taylor Swift, while Robobunny impressed with an impassioned and dramatic rendition of Run by Snow Patrol.
The surreal show, which is presented by comedian Joel Dommett, sees famous contestants disguised in elaborate costumes sing in front of a celebrity panel who have to guess their true identity.
Three former contestants from previous series – Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts as Queen Bee, comedian Jason Manford as Hedgehog and JLS member Aston Merrygold as Robin – also returned to duet with the finalists ahead of the first elimination.
Regular panellists Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan were joined by special guest singer Joss Stone, who won the second series performing as Sausage.
ROBOBUNNY is @MarkusFeehily 😍🥉 WHAT A VOICE... or should we say VOICES? 🐰 #MaskedSingerUK pic.twitter.com/yPuKBzuFxA
— The Masked Singer UK (@MaskedSingerUK) February 12, 2022
During last weekend’s semi-final, Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams was revealed as Rockhopper and Traffic Cone turned out to be classical singer Aled Jones.
Other celebrities who have been unmasked during this series include former England footballer Michael Owen, singer Will Young and broadcaster Gloria Hunniford.
The first series of The Masked Singer was won by Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts, who performed as Queen Bee, while singer Stone took the crown during the second season.
