Martine McCutcheon had her ‘perfect moment’ as The Swan

Tonight, on The Masked Singer the Swan was revealed to be star of stage and screen, Martine McCutcheon.

Earlier tonight, Swan and Sausage found themselves – surprisingly – in the bottom two with the panel choosing to save Sausage. Our opinion was dragon performed the weakest, but often those who perform last linger longer. Boo!

Only Jonathan Ross correctly guessed that McCutcheon was hidden behind the swirls of black lace.

Anyway, former EastEnders regular Martine has spoken about her time on the ITV contest and what she made of the whole experience.

What made you decide to take on this challenge?

After lockdown I missed performing live and I thought it would be fun to perform in disguise. It’s liberating to take on a whole new persona.

 How hard is it to keep the secret?

It was SO hard! We watched the first series and my little one was hooked – we had to watch it every single week.

 How was the secrecy at filming?

It was taken very seriously, I’ve never known anything quite like it.  From the moment we left our house we had to wear a disguise and it felt like I was going to rob a bank haha! It was so well organised, not once did I see another contestant which made it even more exciting but also quite frustrating as I was dying to know who everyone was.

 What did you think of your mask, your overall look and the character you got to play?

I thought the outfit was spectacular, very grand and full of sparkle. It was definitely my cup of tea! I was able to push everything to the max as a show girl and be very theatrical and elegant – I loved it!

 Did you have a say in what your costume looked like?

We spoke about a few different animal ideas but we all felt that the songs I’d be singing and the type of performer that I am, that the Swan would be the perfect fit.

 How about the clue packages – what kind of input did you have on those and do you have a favourite nugget of information from them?

The producers gave me some great ideas in regards to clues but I felt it was vital that I changed my accent as my own is so distinctive, it was fun to be American.

Were there any nerves when you first performed as your character or did being hidden inside the costume make you feel more confident?

I’m always nervous when I perform and I think that’s a good thing – it shows that I care about my performance. However I was especially nervous as the Swan mask was more like a heavy wired sculpture and it weighed a ton, I couldn’t see anything, so yes, nerves were there!

 What are your thoughts on the panel and what did you think of their guesses?

The panel are great, a real mixed bag of ages and knowledge of the industry so it was fun to hear their comments. You can see they are genuinely excited to suss out who everyone is and they are all so different with their opinions.

 If you could wear your mask and costume just one more time, what occasion would you choose to wear it to?

Jonathan’s famous Halloween party!

 Did you watch the first series and, if so, did you have a favourite character?

I did watch the first series and my favourite character was CeeLo Green as Monster! My little one loved Teddy Sheringham as the Tree and we all love Madness and he sang It Must Be Love.

 Who would be your own personal dream performer to see behind one of the masks? 

Jennifer Hudson, she can sing anything. Stevie Nicks and Barbra Streisand as they are my heroes!

 How did it feel to leave at the point you left in the show?

I felt like I was just getting started and had just managed to stay stood up in my outfit.  I’d have loved to have shown off my voice more with different songs but I also felt really relieved as I was so hot and claustrophobic – it was nice to be able to see and breathe again!

 What has been your personal highlight taking part in The Masked Singer?

I think for me, simply being part of a show that has such great production values, The whole team was incredible. The voice coaches, amazing choreographers, dancers and the outfits felt so exciting.  They don’t make many shows like this anymore and there are all these performers dying to entertain with some stardust and glitter.  This show definitely gives you that and I think we need it more than ever.  I was so happy to have been asked to take part in something so huge and exciting!

 If you could sum up your experience in a song title, what would it be?

Hot Stuff! because the outfit was so sexy and it was hot in there! haha!

The Masked Singer, ITV, Saturdays at 7pm