the masked singer rooster hugh sheridan

Every Clue That Debunks The Identity Of Rooster On ‘The Masked Singer’

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The Masked Singer is truly on the homestretch, with only one more week of unmaskings, chaotic performances, and backup dancers wearing questionable outfits.

So far, a bunch of iconic celebs have been forced to “take it off!” In no particular order, we’ve seen: Pia Miranda, Matt Preston, Ryan Moloney, Lisa Curry, Jamie Durie, Emma Watkins, Sam Sparro, Shannon Noll, and ’00s music royalty in Destiny’s Child member, Michelle Williams.

However, one celebrity’s identity has plagued me. While we all suspect that Mirrorball is Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton, and Snapdragon sounds a lot like Sheldon Riley, Rooster has remained a mysterious mask. But after the most recent drop of clues, I’ve finally decided, once and for all, that Rooster simply must be Hugh Sheridan.

Official guestimator Abbie Chatfield is all over this theory, as she’s named Hugh a few times while on the judging panel — and hot damn, the queen is correct.

While the clues match up perfectly, what threw me off Hugh was the voice. As someone who watched a live recording of the current Masked Singer season, Rooster sounded like a more mature person, like maybe an older man with a background in musical theatre. But with every performance, I’ve slowly come around to it being Sheridan, especially since unearthing the TV icon singing a Neil Diamond song where they sounded far beyond their 37 years.

It’s gotta be Hugh and if you don’t believe me, say no more!

Here are The Masked Singer clues that prove Rooster is Aussie icon Hugh Sheridan.

Clue: Rooster was seen moving into a house with a bodyguard carrying their belongings and another holding a sign that read “Who’ll get the house in the divorce”.

Explanation: Hugh had a very public breakup from their fiancé Kurt Roberts in 2021. They also starred in the 2015 miniseries, The Divorce.

Clue: “Here we are at number four, it’s a good number.”

Explanation: Hugh has won four Logie Awards.

Clue: Rooster was giving a lesson and pointed to a series of words: naughtiness, scandal, turpitude, opprobrium, and gossip.

Explanation: Hugh received heavy criticism in 2021 when they were cast in Hedwig And The Angry Inch in the role of a transgender character. Hugh was later dropped from the role and the production was cancelled completely.

Clue: Rooster stood in front of a blackboard with a photo of Liza Minelli and a map of Nepal on it.

Explanation: Hugh once opened for Liza Minelli when they was 23 years old. In 2015, the singer went to Nepal to be reunited with their brother who went missing after being caught in an earthquake.

Clue: “Most Roosters crow at daybreak however I do a lot of mine at night, but not by candlelight.”

Explanation: Hugh has performed multiple times at Carols by Candlelight.

Clue: “As a Rooster, do I have rivals? Only in my family, and we know how untamed they are.”

Explanation: A likely reference to their chaotic TV family from Packed To The Rafters. 

Clue: Rooster was seen holding a balloon that read “So popular”.

Explanation: Hugh won their first Logie in 2009 for ‘Most Popular New Talent’ and won again the next three years for ‘Most Popular Actor’.

Clue: “I am Rooster and when love speaks, I listen. Isn’t that romantic?”

Explanation: Hugh released an album and song in 2009 called ‘Speak Love’ and they had a small role in Rebel Wilson’s rom-com Isn’t It Romantic.

Clue: While wandering Times Square, there’s billboards advertising ‘Escape & Evasion Now Playing’ and a revival of Black Swan. 

Explanation: Sheridan starred in 2019 action movie Escape and Evasion. The actor began their arts career studying at the Australian Ballet School and they would go on to do a presentation at NIDA that was inspired by Swan Lake. At the time, Hugh was struggling over whether they should come out so saw the ballet as something they could relate to. “The idea there is this black and white, two different sides to the same swan,” they told a podcast in 2021.

Clue:“As Rooster, I never want to be a bore.”

Explanation: Hugh starred in 2017 horror movie Boar.

Clue: “I love New York, if you can make it there you can also make it anywhere, even Alice Springs!” In another clue, Rooster crossed a busy New York street and wandered through the bush. In a previous clue, Rooster stood behind a desk that had a framed photo of Gloria Gaynor on it.

Explanation: In 2007, Hugh won a scholarship to study acting in New York. In 2012, Hugh hosted the talent search, I Will Survive, which sought performers to be cast in the Broadway production of the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which is about a drag trio’s journey from Sydney to Alice Springs. Gloria Gaynor originally sang the queer anthem ‘I Will Survive’.

Clue: Rooster was handed several presents from Santa, but they threw each one away.

Explanation: One of Hugh’s first acting gigs was a voice role in Santa’s Apprentice in 2010.

Clue: Rooster was seen reading a book titled “Australia’s Great Churches” next to a framed photo of Frank Sinatra. In a previous clue, Rooster said “I did it my way”, a famous Sinatra lyric.

Explanation: Hugh was born in Adelaide aka Australia’s city of churches. They have said that they listened to Frank Sinatra growing up, and Hugh posted one the crooner’s songs in 2021 to commiserate their father’s death.

Reckon we’ve nailed it, or have we gone cock-a-doodle-do? Let us know in the Facebook comments!

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The Masked Singer finale week kicks off Sunday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 and 10Play.