Dionne Warwick reveals the surprising reason she was first star axed from Masked Singer
DIONNE WARWICK knew she would get sussed straight away and be the first celebrity to leave The Masked Singer.
On most singing contests, being a soul legend would usually be a bonus — but her incredible voice led to a swift exit from the show.
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The Walk On By star, competing as Weather, was the first to get the boot on yesterday’s series opener.
Producers of the ITV1 guessing game assumed she would stay on the programme as she sounded so good.
But after leaving the show, Dionne admitted: “They said I’d be here for this many weeks, and I said, ‘No I’m not. I can’t disguise my voice. The minute I open my mouth, I’m gone!’
“I have never been able to disguise my voice.
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“That’s been my blessing and I never want to disguise it.
“So, the minute I opened my mouth, everybody sussed it out.”
Dionne also revealed that despite being based in US soul, she has worked and lived in the UK so much over the years too that the British were just as likely to know it was her as people in the States.
She said: “It’s at a point now where a lot of people thought I lived here.
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“I was here so much and doing so many concerts throughout the entire portion of England and the entire area.”
The 83-year-old is arguably the most famous person to appear on The Masked Singer and one of its oldest contestants.
But Dionne does not see her age as a hurdle and has no intention of retiring.
In fact, she still has plenty of career goals she wants to achieve.
Dionne said: “It’s the Oscar, the Emmy and the Tony.
“Not necessarily in that order. Why not?
“I cannot imagine a world without music.
“I couldn’t begin to imagine that — nor do I want to.
“I hope the world feels that way about music.
“Music is a healing force and I can’t do without it.”
The Masked Singer continues this Saturday on ITV1 and the first episode of the latest series is now available on ITVX.
FORMER Bake Off contestants return to the tent tomorrow night.
Jurgen and Maggie from the 2021 series will head back to face Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith in the New Year special.
They will battle it out with 2020 competitor Mark and 2022 finalist Maxy for the winning cake stand.
VICKI WAS BAD GIRL IN SCHOOL
BAD Education viewers will know Vicki Pepperdine as its strict headmistress Bernadette Hoburn.
But in her own school days, the comedy actress was nothing like the rule-obsessed character from TV.
The BBC Three hit returns for its fifth series later this year and Vicki said: “I went to an all-girl grammar school, so I had teachers just like Miss Hoburn.
“But unlike her, I was actually very naughty.
“One teacher was so boring that me and my friends would climb out when she closed the curtains to put on a slideshow.
“And then we’d knock on the door and apologise for being late, and we’d just see how many times we could do it.
“I based Miss Hoburn on the strict teachers – not me.”
JAS: MY SPECIAL PLACE
JASMINE Harman’s job presenting property show A Place In The Sun has turned into the role of a lifetime.
It’s not only because of all the people she has helped to buy a home abroad – but also that it led to the start of her own family.
Getting the Channel 4 home-hunting gig led to her meeting her husband, cameraman Jon Boast.
Jasmine told me: “In February, it will be my 20th anniversary hosting the show, and the fact the viewers love this show and can’t get enough of it is something I never dreamed of.
“But my standout moment – and one of the earliest ones – was meeting my husband.
“Two decades later, two children later, that’s obviously the biggest thing and I will always be grateful to the show for introducing me to John.”
ADAM Aveling and Tayah McCreith, who were on E4’s Married At First Sight UK in 2021, have tied the knot for real.
The electrician and estate agent decided to say “I do” two years after appearing on the dating show, in which contestants have to get married before they start their relationship.
JACK’S ON THE RIGHT LINES NOW
BIG-screen racing driver Jack O’Connell was taught a key lesson on the road to success – that most actors have to learn lines.
He plays Peter Collins in new Hollywood blockbuster Ferrari.
But Jack, who starred as teenager Pukey in Shane Meadows’ 2006 coming-of-age flick This Is England, did not realise early on in his career that he would have to learn lines.
Since This Is England, Jack has appeared in TV series Skins and films Unbroken and Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
But he told Radio 6’s Lauren Laverne: “On This Is England, we had no script, so I actually just assumed that was the way you made all films.
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“After that, I was being told to learn lines and I remember thinking, ‘Eh? That’s not how I like to do things’.
“I’m from the Shane Meadows school of acting.”