The Masked Singer winner Nicola Roberts has hinted who is behind the mask of Badger, Robin and Sausage.
Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts revealed she was a childhood fan of one of the three finalists.
Nicola is a special guest on the judging panel alongside Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan for Saturday's climax to the series.
She said: “It’s a great final, full of talent. I was such a fan growing up of one of the contestants in particular. I knew instantly who it was. I was just freaking out that they were on the show and it was so exciting.”
But having now seen the show from both sides of the panel, 35 year-old Nicola - who won the first series performing as Queen Bee, says she had the advantage of knowing that some of the complicated clues aren’t always what they seem, as she was quick to tell her fellow judges.
She said: "They’d go ‘Oh but last week they said this and the week before they said that’. And I said ‘Yes, but they lie!’
“What made it worse for me was knowing the games that backstage play on front of stage.
"The panel would take every little clue as gospel and I knew that there was so many red herrings.”
This time round she’s been backing badger to follow in her footsteps as the victor - reports Mirror Online.
Nicola said: “I just absolutely love Badger, Badger’s voice is brilliant. I think he’s very cute and the performance is very good.”
Nicola was so thrilled to be invited back that she even joked with producers if they had a spare costume.
She said: “I was so excited, I had nothing but such a happy, positive experience on the show when I was a contestant. I was so jealous that I was only there for the final this time as the rest of the judges had been there for the whole season.
"I said to Davina, I’m so jealous that you got to be here the whole time. I have nothing but amazing memories of the show.
“I literally said, do you have a spare costume as I honestly don’t mind throwing it on.”
And knowing what it’s like in one of those big colourful suits, Nicola was able to work out some of the mystery stars straight away, though Sue Perkins as Dragon perplexed her.
She said: “I guessed Sophie Ellis-Bexter immediately. There’s no mistaking her voice. Gabrielle too.
“I could not for the life of me get Dragon.”
Amazingly there have been no leaks about any of the mystery contestants - and Nicola says it’s all because of the high security behind the scenes on the show.
When she took part, Nicola would wear a balaclava, hoodie, gloves, visor and gloves backstage so no part of her body was exposed to keep her identity hidden.
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She said: “I remember when I was doing the final dress rehearsal last year and it was so hot. I took my gloves off and you could my pale skin and the crew told me to put them back on in case someone saw.
“You’re kept in your dressing room and there’s a security guard who takes you from there to the vocal coach cabin or on set.”
Like everyone else, Nicola says that Lockdown has been tough. She has been busy writing songs and hopes that when the arts industry reopens that she can pick up plans to star in the West End musical City Of Angels.
But fans will be disappointed that there’s no plans she says of a Girls Aloud reunion.
However, she says that they are still the best of friends and speak regularly.
She said: “We’re all in touch and we’re all really close. We’re pretty much I’d say, closer than ever. Thank god for technology.”
