The Masked Singer's 'Snapdragon' revealed to be Aussie Eurovision star

The following article contains 'The Masked Singer Australia' spoilers.

Tonight was the Grand Final of 'The Masked Singer Australia' where the Snapdragon was unmasked and revealed to be Australian Eurovision star Sheldon Riley!

Rooster was revealed to be 'Packed to the Rafters' actor Hugh Sheridan whilst Mirrorball was unmasked as former 'Pussycat Dolls' member Melody Thornton.

In a thrilling finale, with "the closest vote in the history of 'The Masked Singer'", Sheldon Riley finished in second place, with winner Melody Thornton pipping him to the post as Mirrorball, and Hugh Sheridan finishing in third place in the Rooster mask.

Fans had long suspected that the 'Not The Same' performer was under the Snapdragon mask. Even in week one, fans were quick to pinpoint Sheldon's unique singing voice. According to polling conducted on Aussievision's Twitter account, a whopping 93% of viewers were convinced that Snapdragon was Sheldon Riley.

Throughout the mask's time on the show, Snapdragon had memorable performances of hits such as 'Sorry Not Sorry' by Demi Lovato, 'How Will I Know' by Whitney Houston, 'Therefore I Am' by Billie Eilish, 'Strong' by London Grammar, and 'Stay' by Rihanna ft. Mikky Ekko.

Tonight, Snapdragon performed 'Never Enough' by Loren Allred saying after his performance:

"This extraordinary costume has taught me that I can enjoy the thing that I solely love. I don't need anybody's approval. I truly love Snapdragon but this will be the last mask I ever wear."

Let's break down some of the cryptic 'Masked Singer' clues:

• Shells have featured in numerous clues on the Masked Singer - whether they were in the background or falling on Snapdragon. One might even say the flowery mask was "shelled on", giving viewers a clue for his name - Sheldon.

• The Filipino flag was pictured waving in the background of many clues, pointing to Sheldon's Filipino heritage.

• The clues "My childhood was golden" and "they ski differently where I grew up", referring to waterskiing, hinted that Sheldon grew up on the Gold Coast.

• "I could be the new prince. 7th time lucky I say" - Sheldon has participated in reality TV shows seven times - appearing twice on 'The X Factor', starring twice on 'The Voice Australia', one stint on 'America's Got Talent', his participation in 'Eurovision: Australia Decides 2022' and his 'The Masked Singer Australia' appearance marking his seventh appearance in a reality show.

• The quote "Snapdragons can be found all over the world - we're universal" alluded to Sheldon having released music with the record label Universal Music Australia.

• In Episode 6, four Snapdragons appeared on the screen while Snapdragon said "you never know what you'll be asked to do". This clue referred to Sheldon's time on the X Factor, where celebrity judge Iggy Azalea placed the 'Not the Same' singer in a boy band called 'Time and Place', along with Sami Afuni, Matthew McNaught, and Leon Krober.

• "Snapdragons come in all colours of the rainbow" - Sheldon Riley is openly gay.

• Many clues referenced Sheldon's time at Eurovision, including a magnifying glass over a globe which magnified the European continent, and the quote "Many people think that Snapdragons are the same, but we're not" - referencing his Eurovision song 'Not The Same'.

• Additionally, one clue package contained three dice which all had the number 5 face up. 3 x 5 = 15, and Sheldon came 15th at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. Not only that, but 5 x 5 x 5 (or 5³) = 125, the number of points that Sheldon received at Eurovision. 'Not The Same' was also released on the 15th of February 2022.

• "I have travelled the world but was too late for the Winter Olympics" - while Sheldon did travel in 2022, Eurovision took place in May this year, long after the Winter Olympics.

• Of course, there was also the quote "they'll tell you it's all politics", with the UK flag pictured flying in the background - a sentiment all too familiar with Eurovision fans.

• "I'm in my element in 'The Masked Singer'...I might feel like a babushka doll" - this clue refers to Sheldon being a "masked singer" long before his participation in 'The Masked Singer Australia'. During his time on 'The Voice Australia' and at the Eurovision Song Contest, Sheldon was notorious for wearing elaborate masks during his performances.

Sheldon Riley represented Australia with his song ‘Not The Same’ at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, Italy. ‘Not The Same’ finished in fifteenth place with 125 points.

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