WARNING: Spoilers ahead for the season 10 finale of “The Masked Singer”
For many “Masked Singer” contestants, joining the show has been compared to joining the CIA or becoming a spy. And that was true for 3rd place finisher Gazelle too — in fact, the actress behind the mask admits that keeping her identity a secret was significantly harder than her years protecting spoilers on “Pretty Little Liars.”
For those unaware, Gazelle was revealed on Wednesday night to be none other than Janel Parrish, who starred on the Freeform mystery show for seven years and nearly 150 episodes, as well as Freeform’s spinoff “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.” So, obviously, the actress has some experience with keeping secrets.
But, if you ask her which one was harder not to spoil, there’s no contest.
“Oh 100% keeping the secret for ‘Masked Singer,’” Parrish confidently told TheWrap. “Because I was so excited, and so thrilled with how my journey went, that I just wanted to shout from the mountaintops like, ‘I am Gazelle! I am so happy that I’ve made it to the finale! I got to sing and I felt so good!’ And then you just have to keep that secret for so long.”
Parrish added that making it so far in the competition added an extra layer of complication for her, as loved ones quickly began recognizing her voice.
“Family members start calling, and friends start calling, and that is when you really discover what a bad actress you can be,” she admitted with a laugh. “They ask you to your face like ‘Oh my god, are you Gazelle?’ And you’re like, ‘What? No, what do you — huh?’”
She continued, “And so, you know, some family members are like ‘You’re lying, but OK,’ and you’re like, ‘No, no, I’m a good actress, I swear. I’m not her. So that became difficult.”
But, Parrish added that the secret-keeping really is “part of the fun of the show.”
In the end, she wasn’t at all disappointed that she didn’t take home the win, though she is a competitive person. In fact, Parrish actually expected to come in third, since she’s got a history with the number.
“Three is my lucky number, baby. I’ve got it tattooed on my arm, I came in third on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” she explained. “Something in me knew when I got to finale, I was like, I bet it’s three, because three always come to me. And I’m thrilled with coming in third!”
And, when she discovered who beat her out, Parrish was even more excited.
“When I found out who was behind the other masks that I was onstage with, can I just tell you that I pinched myself?” she gushed. “I can’t even believe that I was on the same stage as these people, like, what is life? So, gratitude. That’s the word. I’m just so grateful no matter what.”
“The Masked Singer” will return for season 11 on Fox on March 6, 2024.
