I Asked Darren Hayes All My Burning Questions: From ‘The Masked Singer’ To New Music
The Masked Singer has finally wrapped up, with three big stars being unmasked in the finale.
Eurovision and X Factor singer Dami Im as the Snow Fox walked away victorious, with runner-up Darren Hayes taking off the Grim Reaper mask and Bouncer’s Conrad Sewell coming third.
While Dami’s identity was difficult for the panel to guess, Abbie Chatfield knew Darren’s voice from the very first moment he stepped on stage.
The Savage Garden frontman has actually been approached to appear on The Masked Singer franchise multiple times, with both the UK and Aussie version attempting to coax him onto the stage. After a whirlwind year – which included a divorce from his husband of 17 years and a worldwide tour for his album, Homosexual – a chance to hug his mum in Australia convinced him to come home.
I spoke to Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes about what he thinks of Dami Im’s win, the hardest part about competing on the show, and the advice he’d give to his 10-year-old self.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Punkee: You said you’d “never” do The Masked Singer: what made you change your mind?
Darren: It’s so funny, I even tweeted that I’d never do the show. I was asked to join the show several times in Australia and in the UK, and I never thought I’d do it. Honestly, it was a really beautiful distraction. I had just taken almost 10 years out of the spotlight, then come back with an album and a tour. The world also knows I’m going through a divorce, so when this offer came in, which was like, do you want to go to Australia and do a fun TV show? Or do you want to go home and be heartbroken?
I thought I’d do a couple of episodes because my voice is so recognisable, but it ended up being a month of my life, one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most rewarding things I ever did. I loved it, I made lifelong friends and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
There’s some viewer backlash about Dami Im winning The Masked Singer over you, what are your thoughts on that?
I think that’s a little silly, because ultimately we’re people dressed up as Muppets. She has an extraordinary voice and my response to that is the best person won. Honestly, I was backstage and I didn’t know who I was competing against, but the couple of times that I heard her voice my stomach just dropped. I thought, ‘Oh my god, there’s no way that I’m winning the show if that’s who I’m competing against.’ I thought it might have been Christina Aguilera, that’s how good her voice is.
The fact that I made it through to the finale is crazy to me, I thought people would know it was me and I would be booted off the show early. I was just grateful to be there at the end.
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What was the hardest part of performing in the Grim Reaper mask?
Oh my god, it was really difficult. I’m 5’10 and the Grim Reaper mask is about 8’ tall. I had to have my arms up in a brace, with the costume sitting heavily on my chest, causing me to be short of breath a lot of the time. You sing live, and you sing a lot – there’s rehearsals, camera blocking, dress rehearsals and the performance. Wearing it was exhausting, heavy, hot and I panicked at first. I had to go back to basics and remember to breathe, drink water, and the techniques I’ve learned in my years of singing lessons.
Did you consider singing a Savage Garden song to throw people off?
Brilliant idea, I desperately wanted to do it. I wanted to do a Savage Garden song, the idea was put forward but I never got a response. I thought that would’ve been incredibly brave and a real mindfuck to really do that with the audience. But I would’ve sung it so accurately that it would have been so, so obvious.
Abbie Chatfield was in tears once you were unmasked, saying that you inspired her to come out as bisexual. What did that mean to you?
It means everything. Back then – we’re talking almost 30 years ago – me saying ‘I believe you can’t control or choose your sexuality’ was dangerous. I was signed to a major record label who knew that I was gay and were not happy about it. They were scared that I was going to come out in every interview I did. To know that all these years later, there’s a generation of young people for whom that message meant something: goal achieved. That’s what I wanted to do.
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I didn’t have anyone like that in my generation and I really suffered. As a young kid, I used to pray to god, ‘Please don’t make me gay’. The messaging around sexuality in the ’80s was just so negative and so hateful. So Abbie really moved me and made my time on the show amazing.
Is the music industry more inclusive nowadays? What change is still needed?
It has obviously changed, but of course, there’s a long way to go. I think there’s still white male privilege, so the easiest person to accept as gay is a white male person. I think if you are anyone of colour, we still have a long way to go. Everything is still way too white. If you look at queerness in Black culture, it’s still considered to be incredibly intolerable, which is terrifying, especially in the US when Black trans women are murdered just for being who they are. I had it very easy, that’s why I speak loudly about it. I can choose to mask who I am – but a lot of people can’t.
We have a long way to go not just in terms of sexuality, we need to have our TV shows or radio playlists, our boards of directors, all of our job descriptions – they need to look like what the world looks like when everybody is walking down the street. That’s my hope for the world.
If you could give your 10-year-old self any advice, what would you say?
I would tell him that he’s beautiful just the way he is. I’d say that one day he would be celebrated for all the things that he hated about himself. That his body is fine being a little bit tubby, and that someone would love his extra rolls, and that it’s okay to love a boy. I’d tell him to go and tell his teachers what’s happening at home. I would tell him not to be ashamed of anything, that shame is a monster. And finally, I’d tell him that everything’s going to end up okay.
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Would you do any other reality TV shows in Australia?
I’ve learned to say ‘never say never’ because I said ‘never’ and I broke my own rule. If there’s love involved and it’s a kind-hearted premise, I’d be open to it. I love Love on the Spectrum and Great British Bake Off, and shows that send you on a journey like The Masked Singer.
Can you tease what’s going to be in your upcoming memoir? (Editors note: This next answer contains references to domestic violence, suicide and mental health, so please skip if that’s triggering.)
I have a book deal with Penguin to write a memoir. It’s very specific – it’s about growing up with domestic violence and me specifically surviving childhood trauma and PTSD from that. I hope it’s inspirational, I’ve had to relive a lot of memories that are uncomfortable.
I take a lot of inspiration from my mother who had a really tragic life, but she’s now the happiest person I know. She has every reason in the world to feel bitter and she’s not. I have also survived so much in terms of mental health challenges, I come from a family where there’s been a lot of suicide and tragedy. So, I hope it can inspire people seeing that I have managed to lead a really loving and colourful life in spite of some of the things that have happened to me.
Darren Hayes has been touring in support of his latest album. Image credit: Powdered Sugar
Are you working on new music and will there be any collabs?
I’d love to tour again as quickly as possible. I’m actively working on a new album, so hopefully I can get back into the studio soon. I love Hozier and there are a lot of Mexican artists that I love. I really liked working with Cub Sport, I love singing with them, so maybe I’d do another track with them down the line.
The music I’m making at the moment is very quiet, simple, organic, acoustic and very different to the last record which was super electronic and clubby. It might be more of a solo thing.
If this has raised any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. 24-hour support is available through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636. 13Yarn is also available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in need of support.
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Image credits: Channel 10, The Masked Singer, Powdered Sugar