Our picks for all this year’s Masked Singer celeb reveals

There were plenty of clues in the Grim Reaper’s package to point to him being former Savage Garden frontman Hayes: He was shown entering a door marked “rice” – Savage Garden were so named after a line in an Anne Rice novel. There was a reference to him being ready to “Step into the light,” one of Hayes’ solo songs.

But like contestants Kate Ceberano and Kate Miller-Heidke before him, the biggest giveaway for Hayes was that voice, recognisable to a whole generation of pop fans. And megafan Abbie Chatfield immediately picked it was him, weeping as she revealed just how much his music had meant to her.

Hayes is my pick to win this season – if we can all keep up the charade that we don’t recognise his iconic voice for another 10 episodes. Instead, let’s just enjoy getting to hear one of the greatest voices in Aussie music on TV for the next few weeks (even if he does have to dress in a Halloween costume to do it).

Space Fairy is probably … Gabriella Cilmi

The Space Fairy. Picture: Ten

Viewers won’t have heard her voice for a while.

One line from the Space Fairy’s clues package stuck out before she’d even performed: That she had “Lessons To Be Learned” on earth. That’s the name of Aussie singer Cilmi’s 2008 debut album. And sure enough, moments later that was Cilmi’s jazzy, Winehouse-esque voice singing the Blu Cantrell hit Hit ‘Em Up Style – so recognisable from her massive global hit Sweet About Me, but not heard by most music fans for a few years now.

Cilmi’s name didn’t come up with the judges though, who instead guessed Grimes, SZA, Raven Symone and a more plausible Joss Stone. Fellow soul singer Stone has done The Masked Singer in other countries before, but my money’s on Cilmi for this one: Perhaps the London-based singer rolled a Masked Singer stint into a visit home to see family.

Bouncer sounds just like … Conrad Sewell

Bouncer. Picture: Ten

Conrad Sewell Picture: Nigel Hallett

Bouncer’s clues package included references to the number 100 and a clock striking midnight. Taking the stage to sing Hit the Road Jack, his voice is instantly familiar. I’m not the first to point this out, but he really does sound a lot like Australian singer Conrad Sewell.

The 100? Before his career took off, he made it into the top 100 of Australian Idol, season 2. And as for midnight, he used to be in a band called Sons of Midnight. All signs – and that voice – point to this Kangaroo being Conrad Sewell.

It seems likely the Snow Fox is … Amber Riley

Snow Fox. Picture: Ten

Amber Riley has a Masked Singer pedigree.

The Snow Fox’s clues package included references to Christmas and her abilities first becoming apparent in high school. Singing Avicii’s Addicted To You with a soulful, powerful voice, could this be American singer and actress Amber Riley? She’s a fantastic singer, starred in several Christmas movies, and found fame in the high school TV show Glee.

Plus – and this is important, given how many international Masked Singer contestants are repeat offenders – she has a Masked Singer pedigree: She won the US version of the show last year and placed fourth in the UK season earlier this year. A stint on Masked Singer down under seems a logical next step. It’d be the same path as 2022 contestant Michelle Williams, who competed in Oz after appearing in the US and UK iterations of the show.

Bluebottle sounds a lot like … Shaynna Blaze

Bluebottle. Picture: Ten

Could this Nine star be moonlighting on Ten?

Bluebottle had the most mysterious clues package, with very little to latch onto other than a reference to abalone. The vocals in her rendition of Say A Little Prayer For You suggested she’s Australian, middle-aged, and is already a professional singer. There was a Kate Ceberano-esque quality to her voice – but Kate’s already competed in an earlier season. Aussie-based Kiwi singer Jenny Morris was another immediate thought, but she retired from singing completely in 2015 due to issues affecting her voice.

One guess from the judging panel is The Block judge and sometime jazz singer Shaynna Blaze – and the bluebottle does sound a lot like her. Would Nine let her moonlight on a rival network? One thought – and this might be a reach – but that clue about ‘Abalone’ could be a reference to her old Selling Houses co-star Charlie Albone.

The Cowgirl’s clues point to … Courtney Act

Cowgirl. Picture: Ten

Aussie drag royalty – and a friend of Ten. Picture: Getty

The Cowgirl’s clues package pointed heavily to The Veronicas, with a reference to their hit Untouched and to multiple references to veganism.

But the performance – of the Spice Girls hit Wannabe – was definitely not the voice of either Lisa or Jess from The Veronicas. It was a distinctly Australian female-sounding voice, but whose? Fellow vegan Ruby Rose seems unlikely: Her bitter split from Jess of the Veronicas means it’d be a bit awks to use her connection to them as a clue.

So, an Aussie vegan celebrity. Isabel Lucas, DJ Tigerlily … what about Courtney Act? The Cowgirl held a framed photo of judge Mel B in the 90s – Act is a big Spice Girls fan. And there was a reference to the Cowgirl liking coming first, but being OK with not winning too … Courtney won Celebrity Big Brother UK, but was pipped to the post competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dancing With the Stars.

Tiny sounds an awful lot like … Pete Murray

Tiny. Picture: Ten

Pete Murray Picture: Tim Pascoe

Inside this Monsters Inc-esque costume is a celeb who’s “top of the class” and “one step ahead,” but is “not as fast as they used to be.” He says there are a lot of opportunities as a monster and it’s difficult choosing what to do. His clues package ended with a shark swimming past the word ‘Fin.’ A surfer, perhaps? Mick Fanning, or Kelly Slater?

Tiny’s rendition of Walking on Sunshine started off shaky but gets better for the soaring chorus – in fact, he sounds an awful lot like Aussie singer-songwriter Pete Murray, also a keen surfer. And Murray’s been on a bit of a PR blitz this year as he marks the 20th anniversary of his breakthrough album Feeler – the perfect time to cave and say yes to a Masked Singer stint.

Bad avocado is … umm …

Alright, my cockiness ends here: Bad Avocado had me stumped. Clues included a blazing sun, the avocado asking us ‘would you like a slice?’, telling us to quit the judgement, and saying that time heals.

The Bad Avocado’s performance of the song Better Days was soft and summery: She could hold a tune, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if she doesn’t sing for a living. The clues suggested someone who’s battled a bit of bad PR – perhaps a reality TV villain?

The judging panel guessed Martha from MAFS, Olivia Molly-Rogers, Bindi Irwin and Ash Barty. Me?

I need to hear more from this avocado before I can make a guess – which we will, when The Masked Singer returns for its third episode next Monday, 7:30pm on Ten.