In a surprising revelation, a former star of The Masked Singer UK has admitted to breaking a significant rule of the hit ITV show. Actress Julia Sawalha, unmasked as Bubble Tea in 2024, disclosed that she was informed a key panellist would be judging her, a detail usually kept secret from contestants.
A Shocking Revelation on Weekend TV
Julia Sawalha, best known for her role in Father Brown, made the confession during an appearance on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh on Sunday, January 11. The conversation quickly turned to her memorable unmasking on The Masked Singer, where she was defeated by Owl.
The most iconic moment came when she revealed her identity to the panel and shouted "Mummy!" at a stunned Jennifer Saunders. Saunders, who played her on-screen mother Edina Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, leapt up and exclaimed, "Darling, what are you doing here?!"
Breaking the Rule: Forewarned is Forearmed
Sawalha explained that producers told her Saunders would be on the panel before she took to the stage. This is a direct breach of the show's standard protocol, where contestants are kept in the dark about the celebrity detectives to preserve genuine reactions.
"I mean, they did tell me that Jennifer was going to be on the panel," Sawalha stated. "Because if they hadn't and I'd walked out, it's scary enough as it is. If I had seen her on the panel, I don't think I would have made it."
She added that she had warned Saunders afterwards that viewers might think the moment was staged, but Saunders retorted that the genuine shock on her face proved otherwise. The panellist had no idea, partly because the elaborate costumes make all singers appear exceptionally tall from the judges' desk.
The Paralysing Fear of Performing in Costume
Reflecting on the experience, Sawalha described an intense state of anxiety that went far beyond typical stage fright. She loved the challenge of the live performance where there are no second chances, but the physical constraints of the costume were overwhelming.
"You can't see, hear, smell, taste, walk, anything," she recalled. "I said to my costume lady, 'I don't know what I'm doing'. You can't escape... your body is actually resting itself before the hard hits of adrenaline."
She admitted her mind went completely blank, to the point where she couldn't even recall her own name. Hearing her song start and knowing she had to go on, she felt trapped. "I thought there was something wrong with my brain," she said, but was later reassured this extreme reaction is common under such pressure.
Despite the terror, Sawalha credits the experience for changing her for the better, proving she could overcome an unprecedented psychological hurdle.
