The mystery is finally over—The Masked Singer 2025 has crowned its champion, and behind the elaborate Pufferfish costume was none other than acclaimed musical theatre star Samantha Barks.
Barks, best known for her role in Les Misérables and as Elsa in the West End production of Frozen, was revealed as the winner during the ITV1 show’s grand finale.
Reflecting on her time in the competition, the 34-year-old performer said, “I’ve had the best time—truly the best time. Underneath the mask, I’ve been smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. It’s been amazing. Thank you all for your lovely comments.”
Taking to Instagram after the reveal, she added, “The Pufferfish is out of the bag!!! Huge thanks to everyone at The Masked Singer for making this such a fantastic experience. I’ve loved watching everyone play along and guess!”
A Star-Studded Finale
Finishing as runner-up was Grammy-winning singer Gregory Porter, who performed as Dressed Crab and described the experience as “just straight-up fun.” The third-place finalist, Wolf, was revealed to be Scottish singer Marti Pellow, former lead vocalist of Wet Wet Wet.
Pellow, thrilled by the experience, shared, “I’ve had a fantastic time—it’s been absolutely incredible.”
Host Joel Dommett kicked off the grand finale with a lively performance of Blondie’s One Way Or Another before introducing the panel of judges—Jonathan Ross, Maya Jama, Davina McCall, and last year’s champion, Danny Jones, who won as Piranha.
The competition featured a series of electrifying performances. Wolf took on Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, while Pufferfish wowed the judges with a rendition of Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time. Panelist Danny Jones suspected the mystery singer could be Perrie Edwards, while Jonathan Ross guessed Nicole Scherzinger.
Dressed Crab also delivered a standout moment with a soulful version of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine, which Dommett called “beautiful.”
A Night of Duets
The finale also included special duets with past contestants. Knitting (Claire Richards) and Wolf sang With You I’m Born Again, made famous by Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright. Pufferfish teamed up with Piranha (Danny Jones) for a powerful performance of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. Meanwhile, Dressed Crab joined Airfryer (Keala Settle) for a lively rendition of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
For her final performance, Barks delivered a show-stopping rendition of One Night Only from Dreamgirls, sealing her victory and cementing her place as The Masked Singer 2025 champion.
