All-around entertainment icon Courtney Act has been revealed as the secret celebrity hiding underneath the Cowgirl mask on The Masked Singer Australia.
The 42-year-old first shot to fame in the inaugural season of Australian Idol in 2003, going on to star in the likes of RuPaul’s Drag Race (2014) Big Brother UK (2018) where she actually won, and Dancing with the Stars Australia in 2022.
And whilst on this occasion, Courtney – also known as Shane when not taking to the stage in his drag alter ego – just missed out on a spot in the final three, she certainly made her mark on the competition.
WATCH NOW: Cowgirl performs on The Masked Singer Australia. Article continues after video.
From the very first moment, Cowgirl aka Courtney sang into the microphone, the judges (and viewers) watching from home were left speechless!
Each and every performance was high energy, Courtney making it clear that she would be tough competition.
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Reflecting upon her experience on the reality singing show, the drag queen said it was tough to put into words just how fun she had onstage.
“You can’t explain @themaskedsingerau, you just have to let go, watch it, and enjoy it. How can you not chuckle at an anthropomorphic cow,” she joked on her Instagram.
“I think some people see Courtney as a mask, but I thought, ‘I wonder what it would be like wearing an actual mask,’ the bovine beauty pondered shortly after her head came off, and she could finally breathe.
“And it’s kind of thrilling because you have no fear because no one can see you, and if you mess up, it’s like not about you, it’s the cow that did it,” she added.
Speaking with our sister publication WHO the morning after her on-screen unmasking, Courtney said it was an “honour” and “so fun” taking part.
She also added that performing as Cowgirl was “miserable” at times, but she ultimately grew to love her alter ego.
“The thing you love about performing is getting to feel free and comfortable, and it felt like all of that was gone. I remember going back to my dressing room and just being so grumpy thinking, ‘Oh god, I’ve got to do this for how many weeks?’,” Courtney shared.
“Then I let go of all of that baggage and then came back to do [Miley Cyrus’] Flowers and I just found the joy in getting to be silly and trying to understand how to make this giant cow costume come alive.”
The drag queen also added that when choosing her mask, Cowgirl seemed like her most “authentic” fit.
“She was glamourous, and maybe because she’s a cow with lipstick, but something felt like she was a cow in drag.”
