The Masked Singer Australia’s first 2023 contestant revealed as international star

The Masked Singer’s new season just started with a bang, with a US TV actor the first contestant unmasked. WARNING: Spoilers.

Chrissie Swan on The Masked Singer.

WARNING: Masked Singer spoilers below.

The 2023 season of The Masked Singer started with a bang on Monday night, with an international celebrity unmasked as the first contestant was booted from the competition.

Following a performance of the Shawn Mendes song Stitches, the Crash Test Dummy was unmasked and revealed to be …

Brian Austin Green, US actor best known from Beverly Hills, 90210.

Brian Austin Green is revealed.

Austin Green revealed he was in the country accompanying his Aussie girlfriend, Sharna Burgess, while she judged on Ten show Dancing With the Stars.

Much like his former 90210 co-star Tori Spelling last year, Austin Green was billed as a “Hollywood superstar,” which might be over-egging the pudding a bit, but he is at least a genuine 90s teen heart throb.

Here are the rest of the performances, and my guesses – ranked in order of how sure I am about the celeb underneath the mask:

The Grim Reaper is … absolutely Darren Hayes

The Grim Reaper.

Darren Hayes. Photo: James Reese

There were plenty of clues in the Grim Reaper’s package to point to him being former Savage Garden frontman Hayes: He was shown entering a door marked “rice” – Savage Garden were so named after a line in an Anne Rice novel. There was a reference to him being ready to “Step into the light,” one of Hayes’ solo songs.

But like contestants Kate Ceberano and Kate Miller-Heidke before him, the biggest giveaway for Hayes was that voice, recognisable to a whole generation of pop fans. Big fan Abbie Chatfield immediately picked it was him, but the others on the judging panel threw out some curveballs like Luke Steele and Conrad Sewell. Let’s hope Hayes - I mean, the Grim Reaper - makes it to the finals, so we can enjoy that brilliant voice for weeks to come.

The Space Fairy is … probably Gabriella Cilmi

The Space Fairy …

Gabriella Cilmi. Picture: Jess Brohier

One line from the Space Fairy’s clues package stuck out before she’d even performed: That she had “Lessons To Be Learned” on earth. That’s the name of Aussie singer Cilmi’s 2008 debut album. And sure enough, moments later that was Cilmi’s jazzy, Winehouse-esque voice singing the Blu Cantrell hit Hit ‘Em Up Style – so recognisable from her massive global hit Sweet About Me, but not heard by most music fans for a few years now.

Cilmi’s name didn’t come up with the judges though, who instead guessed Grimes, SZA, Raven Symone and a more plausible Joss Stone. Fellow soul singer Stone has done The Masked Singer in other countries before, but my money’s on Cilmi for this one.

The Cowgirl … might be Courtney Act

The cowgirl.

Courtney Act. Picture: Getty

This was a tricky tough one. The clues package pointed heavily to The Veronicas, with a reference to their hit Untouched and to multiple references to veganism.

But the performance – of the Spice Girls hit Wannabe – was definitely not the voice of either Lisa or Jess from The Veronicas. It was a distinctly Australian female-sounding voice, but whose? Fellow vegan Ruby Rose seems unlikely: Her bitter split from Jess of the Veronicas means it’d be a bit awks to use her connection to them as a clue.

So, an Aussie vegan celebrity. Isabel Lucas, DJ Tigerlily … what about Courtney Act? The Cowgirl held a framed photo of judge Mel B in the 90s – Act is a big Spice Girls fan. And there was a reference to the Cowgirl liking coming first, but being OK with not winning too... Courtney won Celebrity Big Brother UK, but was pipped to the post competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dancing With the Stars.

As for the judging panel, they guessed The Veronicas, Pamela Anderson, Kimbra and Shania Twain.

Bad Avocado is … umm, definitely an avocado

The bad avocado sings her song.

This one had me stumped. Clues included a blazing sun, the avocado asking us ‘would you like a slice?’, telling us to quit the judgement, and saying that time heals.

The Bad Avocado’s performance of the song Better Days was soft and summery: She could hold a tune, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if she doesn’t sing for a living. The clues suggested someone who’s battled a bit of bad PR – perhaps a reality TV villain?

The judging panel guessed Martha from MAFS, Olivia Molly-Rogers, Bindi Irwin and Ash Barty. Me? I need to hear more from this avocado before I can make a guess (a sentence you only find yourself writing when covering The Masked Singer).

Meanwhile, news.com.au went behind the scenes of The Masked Singer during filming in Sydney recently – all the way to Mel B’s dressing room, in fact. We sat down with the Spice Girl to get the goss on her upcoming wedding, her recent move back to her hometown in Northern England, and what she and the other Spice Girls have planned for their next comeback – yes, she insists, all five of them.

The Masked Singer continues 7:30pm next Monday on Ten.