Ben Shephard, the popular This Morning presenter, delivered a sincere apology following his reveal as Conkers in the finale of The Masked Singer. Viewers puzzled over his identity for weeks on the ITV show until the dramatic unmasking during Saturday’s showdown.
Judges Stunned by Surprise Reveal
The judging panel, featuring Maya Jama, Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, and former winner Samantha Barks, reacted with shock. The twist hit harder since Shephard had appeared on the panel during the earlier Halloween special. He secured second place, behind winner Keisha Buchanan as Moth and ahead of Mica Paris as Toastie.
Shephard’s Humble Instagram Apology
Right after the reveal, Shephard shared a clip on Instagram, writing: “For everyone whose songs I destroyed I’m so so sorry. For everyone who listened I’m even more apologetic. For the amazing team who created Conkers you are the real stars – I can’t thank you enough he was very special.”
Fans Rally in Support
Fans flooded the comments with encouragement. One viewer noted: “No apologies needed! I had tears flowing it was incredible and soo not expected!” Another enthused: “Oh my goodness Ben Shepherd you were brilliant! I wanted you to win. But very well done. I really didn’t think it could be you as I’ve never seen you move around so much haha!”
TV host Lorraine Kelly praised the moment as “Fabulous!!!”
Behind-the-Scenes Reflections
Speaking to host Joel Dommett post-unmasking, the 50-year-old star reflected: “It’s an extraordinary experience, having turned 50, I thought I’ve got to do a few more scary things. And I think tonight was probably my favourite, and it felt like I’d won just being able to come on the show, so I could just really enjoy that song (The Killers’ Mr Brightside), I know my boys love that song. It’s been such an extraordinary journey.”
Victory for Keisha Buchanan
Sugababes star Keisha Buchanan triumphed as Moth, delivering standout performances of Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In The World)” and Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is.” Maya Jama correctly guessed her identity. Buchanan shared: “Honestly, I’ve had the best time, I think I’m more of an introvert than I am an extrovert, actually. I think this has, you know, without the girls by my side, it’s kind of like made me a lot more confident, and it’s really brought me out of my shell.”
Duet Highlights and Mica Paris
The finale featured duets with Samantha Barks returning as Pufferfish, Andrea Corr as Snail, and Will Young as Lionfish. Mica Paris, revealed as Toastie and placing third, said: “I’ve had the best time, it’s been so amazing. I wanted to do it for my grandkids… they don’t (know that I am doing The Masked Singer), they know I’m doing a show but they don’t know what it is.” Three panelists correctly identified her.
The Masked Singer streams on ITVX.
