Nat unmasked as secret singer
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA was crowned the winner of The Masked Singer last night.
She deceived the judges after performing in disguise as Panda throughout the ITV series, pulling it off by using an American accent to hide her native Australian twang.
She beat rivals Charlotte Church and Westlife’s Mark Feehily, who came second and third – with Ms Church disguised as a mushroom and Feehily as a robotic bunny.
Ms Imbruglia – a former Neighbours actress best known for her 1997 hit Torn – impressed judges Rita Ora, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and Joss Stone by singing Taylor Swift’s hit Blank Space. Speaking after she was unveiled as the winner, the 47-year-old said: ‘I just loved being Panda! I stayed in an American accent the whole time to hide it.
‘I really thought Rita and Davina would guess as they know me! It’s just been great.’
The show, presented by comedian Joel Dommett, sees famous contestants in elaborate disguises sing for a celebrity panel who have to guess their true identity.
The finalists beat nine other quirky characters in the third series including former England footballer Michael Owen, who was dressed as a doughnut, Aled Jones as a traffic cone and Will Young disguised as a lionfish.
Last year’s winner Joss Stone made a return to the finale to join the judging panel.