Five episodes into season five of The Masked Singer Australia, and brand new mask took to the stage – Orca.
But only four episodes later, the in-studio audience couldn’t wait any longer to see which singing celebrity was hiding underneath the whale of a costume, Orca removing her mask and revealing her real identity as Amy Sheppard.
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Belonging to the chart-topping Aussie band Sheppard, Amy is known for her powerhouse vocals featured on songs such as Geronimo and Let Me Down Easy.
Speaking with New Idea the morning after her on-screen unmasking, the 33-year-old shared how happy she was not having the keep this huge secret to herself anymore.
“It’s been a long couple of months trying to keep quiet and dodge questions about whether it [Orca] was me or not,” she told us with a sigh of relief.
Only two family members were entrusted with the secret of Amy’s appearance as Orca on The Masked Singer – her siblings and fellow Sheppard band members George and Emma.
“My sister and brother did know because we live under the same roof, so it was a bit hard to keep that one a secret, especially when I was doing sneaky trips to Sydney.”
“But I had a couple of close family members and friends ask if it was me but I just had to dodge the question and be like ‘I get asked every year’ and I say the same thing every year ‘It could be’,” Amy jokes.
According to Amy, she jumped at the chance to take to The Masked Singer stage, even if it was in a giant Orca costume.
“I was really, really excited and I just wanted to jump at the opportunity. I have recently launched my own solo country project which coincides with Sheppard the band as well.”
“I just really loved the opportunity to get up on stage and sing so people could get to know me and my voice as a solo artist. It was really liberating to be able to sing without anyone really knowing who I was.”
Whilst Amy had never worn anything as heavy as the Orca mask, that is apart from some “heavy sequins”, her overall experience in the elaborate costume was “fun.”
“There’s a first for everything. It was a lot of fun but also very challenging and I had gloves as well, so I had to hold onto these big Orca hands so it just made the movement really constricted…” she shared with us.
“I had to work hard to find ways to become one with the Orca and find dance moves that I could do.”
As for her predictions for how the rest of the season will unfold, Amy says she is just as much in the dark as viewers tuning in from home.
“I was really shocked by La Toya Jackosn, I had no idea I was standing next to Michael Jackson’s sister. There’s some great people to be revealed yet.”
Speaking of those “great people”, Amy is placing her bets behind Snowfox to take home The Masked Singer trophy.
“Her vocals are incredible, she’s obviously a very talented singer. I would like to see SnowFox take it home.”
