Hughesy reveals Macy Gray ‘refused to leave’ the Masked Singer stage

Masked Singer judge Hughesy has lifted the lid on Macy Gray’s departure from the show, revealing she was less than thrilled to be eliminated.

Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes has shared a behind-the-scenes titbit from Macy Gray’s incredible appearance on the Masked Singer Australia, revealing the international star was so desperate to stay on the show she refused to take her Atlantis mask off.

Speaking on 2DayFM on Monday, the morning after the I Try hit maker was unveiled to genuine shock from the judges, Hughesy revealed to co-hosts Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan just what the she was like to work with — explaining the star held up filming while begging to remain on the show.

“Macy Gray had such passion for the Masked Singer Australia that when she was told that she had to leave the show, which you saw last night, she refused to leave the show,” the comedian began.

“She said ‘No, I’m continuing in the show’ and there had to be a discussion which went for quite a while as to ‘No, you have to leave’. She said ‘No, I’m not leaving’,” Hughesy recalled.

The Grammy winner was unmasked on Sunday night. Picture: Channel 10.

“The thing is, we can’t do the end of the show unless the head comes off,” he added, with Ed clarifying: “So she still had the head on, and they’re saying ‘Hey Macy slash Atlantis, we need you to take the head off so you can go’ to which she’s responding ‘No I’m keeping the head on’?” he asked, with Erin speculating whether she wanted to be paid for a longer stint on the show.

“I don’t know the contractual situation …,” Hughesy responded, explaining it took a lot of convincing to eventually get her to leave.

“It took quite a while, and we’re like ‘What is going on, we want to go home’. We’re out the back, saying ‘What’s happening?’,” he said, laughing about how they could have possibly met her request.

“Well what are the other people gonna go? They already know that Atlantis has to go. ‘No sorry, Baby, you have to go because Atlantis won’t go’,” he said as Erin joked they should have had a “fight to death.”

Dave Hughes on The Masked Singer.

“She was very gracious on air, a real professional. But off air, wanted to stay. Vinnie Jones, you couldn’t get him out quicker,” he concluded to laughs from his colleagues.

Earlier this season, Jones shared that he was fed up with the extreme security measures of the series, so was quite happy to be voted out.

Speaking to Kyle and Jackie O after his elimination from the show in episode one, Snatch and X Men actor Jones confessed he “didn’t know what he was thinking” signing up to the show – and didn’t have the greatest time in his brief stint as the Proclaimers-singing volcano.

“You know what, as soon as the cheque clears, then the big stick comes out and they start whacking you on the arse with it. They started bossing me around,” he said of his behind-the-scenes experience.

“I wanted to give a few of them a little slap, but every time I wanted to do that, they put a cape over my head and I couldn’t see anyone.”

He said the top secret nature of the show didn’t instil a lot of trust in him: “The only part of trust that comes into this is when the cheque clears,” he quipped.

Masked Singer Australia continues tonight from 7.30 on Channel 10