The Masked Singer finalist Marti Pellow has opened up about the initial “reservations” he had before joining the show.
In the grand finale that aired on Saturday (February 15), West End star Samantha Barks, known as Pufferfish on the show, clinched victory over Grammy-award winner Gregory Porter, who came in second as Dressed Crab. Marti, the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, secured third place while performing as Wolf.
After the glittering final, Marti chatted with Christine Lampard on Lorraine on Monday (February 17) about his journey on the popular singing contest, revealing that he was close to turning down the opportunity to don the Wolf outfit.
“It was just a fun experience, because I had so many reservations about it, but once I met the people who were involved in the show, I was aware it was amazing,” he shared.
Having a say in the creation of Wolf’s distinctive persona was crucial for Marti and played a significant role in his decision to participate in the series, reports the Mirror.
“The designers and costume makers get so excited by your input and it was always so up to me, and that was so important to me. When it was agreed that I wanted to do it, those things were very important to me, and I thought, ‘If they don’t agree with that, that’s my get out or dodge clause’,” he said.
“They were like, ‘We would love to do that, and we’d love for you to get involved’. So, it was great, making great TV for the family.”
Marti opened up about the experience, saying: “To be part of that experience because you’re so isolated, so you never get to meet anybody. It’s fair to say I’m a wee talker, myself, so you spend a lot of time kind of isolated yourself, and then you go and do your song, but occasionally I would hear some people in the window, and I’d go, ‘Oh, that’s a good voice.'”
Reflecting on the role, he also said: “What was so wonderful about that was that although it was a little character, the Wolf, you don’t get to use any of the tools that I’d usually use, with the smile or whatever, you can have fun and play with it. To have those little things come along in your career are wonderful, little moments like that.”
The Masked Singer vibes were alive and kicking as last year’s champ Danny Jones mingled with judges Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Jonathan Ross at the weekend.
Joining the stage antics, the Piranha star made waves performing a show-stopping duet with Pufferfish. Claire Richards and Keala Settle swung by too, each delivering numbers alongside the iconic Wolf and Dressed Crab characters, respectively.
Riding high on her victory, Samantha Barks expressed her elation, sharing post-win: “I’ve had the best time. Underneath the mask, I’ve been smiling so hard. Thank you all so much for your lovely comments.”
With the glow of The Masked Singer success still fresh, the star of Les Miserables proclaimed her solo concert at London’s illustrious Palladium slated for this spring, ready to belt tunes spanning her accomplished career, including crowd-pleasing renditions from her Pufferfish performances.
The Masked Singer UK is available to watch on ITVX