Bontle Modiselle spent the third season of “The Masked Singer” inside a furry dog costume, and when the mask came off at the Season 3 finale on SABC 2, Spotty had won the Golden Mask trophy.
The dancer and choreographer, who is also a television presenter, actress, creative director and entrepreneur, joins Holly Rey and Warren Masemola on the list of winners.
Rey took Season 1 as Lollipop and Masemola won Season 2 as Giraffe.
The finale was built around two face-offs and a final showdown. Mosquito beat Chopsticks in the first battle, with the pair performing “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars. Spotty then faced Gogga, and their take on Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine” ended Gogga’s run.
That left Mosquito and Spotty to close the night with “Drive” by Black Coffee and David Guetta.
Runner-up Mosquito was Robot Boii, the content creator, award-winning dancer, musician and television presenter. Chopsticks was Khanyi Mbau, known as Mzansi’s Queen of Bling, and Gogga was Afro-jazz legend Judith Sephuma.
Modiselle said the win meant a great deal to her, and she fought back tears as she told the audience so.
“I had fun and the time of my life, and, you know, the 8-year-old me who was insecure and didn’t think she was able or capable was validated for thirteen weeks,” she said.
The detective panel of J’Something, Somizi Mhlongo, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba Hlophe had mixed results. On Chopsticks, J’Something went for actress Nandi Madida, however, the other three landed on Mbau.
Somizi said the clues all season had pointed to his long-time friend. Shozi and Hlophe read the mask as an “It” girl, a tastemaker and red carpet regular, with Shozi saying a clue about closeness to a grandmother sealed it and Skhumba remembering the taxi references from the semi-final.
Gogga was harder.
Only J’Something got there, having recognised Sephuma’s vocal artistry under the pink dreadlocks for weeks. He also knew her personally, since he used to set up her rehearsal room before his own career took off.
Mhlongo reached the same answer by a different route, following a clue about “cinematic greatness” to Hans Zimmer, composer of "The Lion King’s" score, and from there to his friend Sephuma.
Sithelo guessed Nomzamo Mbatha, reasoning that Gogga was a groundbreaker from her own hometown and part of a quartet. Hlophe joked that if Hlophe believed that, he would say it was Dr Rebecca Malope.
After Mosquito and Spotty’s final performance, Mhlongo called it the best finale ever seen anywhere in the history of the format. The panel was unanimous that Mosquito was Robot Boii, whose full name is Mzwakhe Mthandeni Ntshengula Mbuli Jr.
Spotty took longer to crack. J’Something had long believed the mask belonged to Pabi Moloi, and at the end he was torn between Modiselle and singer-songwriter Boohle before settling on the wrong one.
Shozi guessed Generations actress Vatiswa Ndara and Hlophe went for sports broadcaster Motshidisi Mohono. Mhlongo named Modiselle.
The panel had one more prize to hand out, the Golden Ear for the detective with the most correct first guesses. Mhlongo took it after correctly identifying Mbau, Lasizwe and Sephuma.
nomathamsanqa.sithathu@nationalmg.co.za