International popstar and former Pussycat Doll, Melody Thornton, has been crowned the winner of The Masked Singer Australia.
The American singer spun into the coveted title ahead of singers Sheldon Riley (Snapdragon) and Hugh Sheridan (Rooster).
For her final performance, Mirrorball’s reflective renditionof Donna Summers Last Dance had the judges as perplexed as ever.
Mel B was certain Mirrorball was Australian singer-songwriter, Samantha Jade, Chrissie Swan hedged her bets on socialite, Nicole Richie, Abbie Chatfield locked in American actress and singer, Hilary Duff, and Dave Hughes stunned the panel with his first correct guess of the season, insisting Mirrorball was Melody Thornton.
Asked to describe her The Masked Singer Australia experience, Melody said: “It was just so nice to have lovely comments, and encouragement as well, to bring this character to life. This really helped my relationship with myself. It brought me closer to myself. [Ultimately], you sing because you want other people to be inspired to sing.”
Second runner-up Hugh, was complimented on his comedic performances.
When asked why he decided to take part, Hugh said: “What drew me to The Masked Singer was the entertainment factor. The fact that this is a fun show. It’s my sister’s favourite show, my nephew’s favourite show. And I realised, everyone loves it. Last year I had a bunch of friends die, including my Dad… I wanted to do something fun, and I also wanted to do something to cheer up my family. ”
For runner-up Sheldon, he became emotional as he opened up about his journey from feeling the need to wear a mask, as he has done throughout his career, to finally being brave enough to take it off.
Sheldon said: “It’s been a really long road for me. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s as a kid, so people always worried about me… It wasn’t until this show that I realised that I need to be so proud of my talent, and really show people that I don’t need a mask to do what I do!”
