The Masked Singer’s Justin Hawkins says he felt “a little exposed” by his revealing Chameleon costume

Another secret singer was revealed in the latest episode, and now he’s opened up about the experience

Published: Sunday, 12 January 2020 at 10:01 am

Another disguised celebrity was unveiled on the latest episode of The Masked Singer UK, and this time it was an actual musician – The Darkness’ lead singer Justin Hawkins – revealed to be playing The Chameleon.

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And now, post-exit Hawkins has opened up about his experience on the show, from the difficulties of keeping his involvement a secret to his misgivings about the material (both literal and musical) he was given.

“I wanted to take part in something that would be slightly surreal, and the secrecy made it a very exciting. Like having an extra-musical affair,” Hawkins said.

“Keeping secrets is challenging, especially when you effectively disappear for the duration of the filming. I used a combination of bluffery, bare faced lies and vague muttering to explain my absences. I’m basically James Bond.”

Throughout his appearances on the show, Hawkins’ Chameleon was complimented for his physique and performance (particularly by judge Rita Ora), but despite feeling a little exposed by his tight costume the singer says he generally enjoyed wearing it.

Chameleon The Masked Singer ©ITV/Bandicoot TV

“I loved my mask and I thought the lights were a brilliant touch. I was lucky to have the freedom to move my limbs around, but I did feel a little exposed in certain key areas.

“I was very pleased with the panel’s observations about my physique. It was so very flattering. The negative remarks were fully justified, I think I actually agreed with everything they said!”

And in fact, the greatest difficulty he faced was a bit more conceptual…

“The toughest part of the process was learning relatively modern songs,” Hawkins admitted.

“I’m not fond of new music, so I had to force myself to assimilate inferior compositions... Plus it was difficult to sing from within a helmet!”

So there we have it – one more celebrity crooner unveiled, plenty more to go. But just who could the other Masked Singers be? We have a few theories…

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The Masked singer continues on ITV on Saturdays at 7.00pm

Authors

Radio Times commissioning editor Huw Fullerton. He sits in front of a shelving unit, looking at the camera and smiling. He wears glasses and has a moustache

Huw FullertonCommissioning editor

Huw Fullerton is a commissioning editor for Radio Times magazine handling comedy, entertainment and specialist drama. In a previous regeneration, he covered all things sci-fi and fantasy for RadioTimes.com.

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