In an unforgettable moment, celebrated musician Holly Rey took a reflective look back at her remarkable journey through the inaugural season of The Masked Singer South Africa, capping it off with a triumphant victory as she claimed the highly sought-after Golden Mask trophy. The climactic finale, which unfolded on a spectacular Saturday evening, saw Rey being crowned as the show’s first-ever champion, whereby earlier this month Holly Rey walked away with the award for Pop Artist of the Year for Stripped at the Basadi in Music awards.
Radiating pure joy, she shared her sentiments in an Instagram post, accompanied by a photo of herself standing beside her enigmatic Lollipop costume. “I had the time of my life doing this,” she exclaimed in her caption. “It was like rediscovering the excitement of being a child all over again.”
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The electrifying showdown in the finale featured Lollipop going head-to-head with the towering romantic hero, Rhino. Their battle for supremacy reached a thrilling crescendo with a mesmerizing duet performance of Justin Bieber’s “Baby.” The extended episode kicked off with the four remaining celebrity contestants fiercely competing to secure their spots in the ultimate showdown. Lollipop dealt a decisive blow by eliminating Lion, while Rhino triumphantly felled Tree.
The big reveals were equally exhilarating, with Lion unveiled as the accomplished actor Abdul Khoza, and Tree unmasked as the multifaceted entertainer Maps Maponyane. Maponyane expressed his gratitude on social media, saying, “What an experience…definitely one I’ll never forget.” He candidly admitted to the difficulty of keeping the secret of his masked identity and thanked viewers for their support.
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Living out a cherished childhood dream, Holly Rey said, “Getting to do all of that in front of an audience while having fun and surprising myself in the process definitely felt like I was living out one of my childhood dreams.” Rhino, securing the position of first runner-up, was revealed as the acclaimed Kaptien hitmaker Kurt Darren, who commended the finale’s awesomeness and shared glimpses of the exclusive wrap party held in Johannesburg.
Detective Somizi Mhlongo, a prominent figure on the show, showered praise upon Lollipop, expressing his belief that she was destined to make history. He remarked, “Lollipop was born to be a record-holder. She became the first woman to win Song of the Year after the legendary Brenda Fassie 20 years ago. Lollipop is Holly Rey.”
Notable local celebrities who participated in the inaugural season of The Masked Singer South Africa included Zikhona Sodlaka, Jason Goliath, Shekhinah, Makhadzi, Zozibini Tunzi, Devi Sankaree Govender, Mmusi Maimane, David Kay, Bongani Bingwa, Doctor Khumalo, Victor Matfield, and The Lazy Makoti, making it a star-studded and unforgettable chapter in South African entertainment.
