‘The Masked Singer’ Season 8 Winner on Castmates Guessing Her: ‘Our Group Chat Went Crazy!’

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[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Masked Singer Season 8 finale.]

And so The Masked Singer has a new winner.

Harp and The Lambs competed in the Season 8 finale in hopes of being crowned Queen and receiving the Golden Mask Trophy. After two performances each, it was Harp who emerged victorious. All this meant the final two unmaskings: The Lambs were pop group Wilson Phillips, while Harp was actress and singer Amber Riley (Glee).

You can see her next competing against her costar Chris Colfer on Celebrity Name That Tune (Season 3 premieres January 11 on Fox). “Obviously viewers will have to tune in to see how well I do — or if I win on that show, too!” she says. Here, Riley opens up about winning and her time on the show.

What made you say yes to doing The Masked Singer when you were asked? 

Amber Riley: I watched the show with friends and family during the pandemic and it instantly went on my bucket list.

Which performance meant the most to you and which one had you thinking you could win the season? 

I honestly loved every song that I did! Nothing made me think I’d win because I never really heard any other contestants, so I didn’t know where I fell in line as far as the competition went.

What went into your song choices? 

Our incredible music director Miguel Gandelman played a huge role in helping me find the right songs! We also have vocal coaches! Tim Carter helped me interpret the songs and fool the judges! It was a real team effort.

Talk about the panelists’ guesses. Nicole figured you out. Had you come into this expecting her to because of your collaboration? 

I knew Nicole would figure me out! The other guesses were flattering honestly. Those were some amazing vocalists they guessed.

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You got emotional talking about feeling validated and now feeling more than enough. Looking back on the entire experience, what stands out to you? 

The whole experience was so much fun. I felt like I got to come in and sing and people got to hear me without having any preconceived notions about who I am or what I can do. It was an invaluable experience.

Did any former castmates reach out saying they knew it was you?  

Our group chat went crazy! They are my family, of COURSE they knew it was me! I lied my face off and pretended not to know what they were talking about. Kevin [McHale] made a hilarious TikTok also. It was all great fun.

The Masked Singer, Season 9, Spring 2023, Fox