- By Noor Nanji
- Culture reporter
Danny Jones has been crowned the winner of The Masked Singer, as he was revealed as the celebrity beneath the Piranha costume.
The McFly guitarist and singer was one of three contestants battling it out in the final of the ITV1 reality singing competition on Saturday night.
He said he had had “the most amazing time”.
He beat Cricket, revealed as the singer Lemar, and Bigfoot, revealed as TV presenter Alex Brooker.
Lemar was the first celebrity to sing solo on the night, with a rendition of A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. But he was also the first to have his identity revealed, leaving just two in the final.
Brooker was the second contestant to sing, choosing The One And Only by Chesney Hawkes.
But ultimately, it was Jones’ night, with panellist Jonathan Ross telling him that he given the “best performance… of any series” after his rendition of Lay Me Down by Sam Smith.
He is the third McFly star to win a reality TV show, after Harry Judd won the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and Dougie Poynter won the 11th series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Celebrities including Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas, Soul singer Dionne Warwick, and broadcaster Nicky Campbell had already been unmasked on this year’s show.
Daytime TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and 80s pop icon Tiffany also took part.
Saturday’s final began with a rendition of By Your Side by Calvin Harris featuring Tom Grennan, in which all the contestants took part.
The finalists were also joined by former contestants – Charlotte Church, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson, and Natalie Appleton – to perform duets during the final.
Presenter Davina McCall, singer Rita Ora, chat show host Jonathan Ross and comedian Mo Gilligan were in the detective chairs. They were joined by special guest panellist Rob Brydon.
On The Masked Singer, mystery performers belt out pop songs while wearing elaborate face masks and costumes that conceal every inch of their anatomies.
It is left to a panel of judges to guess who they are, based solely on their vocal stylings and cryptic hints delivered in a distorted voice.
One by one the acts are voted out and have to “Take it off!” and reveal the true identities under the masks.
Previous winners of the show include Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts as Queen Bee, songwriter Joss Stone as Sausage, pop star Natalie Imbruglia as Panda and Busted’s Charlie Simpson as Rhino.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.