Lovely Linda Mtoba was Lady Monster on The Masked Singer South Africa Season 3.

Beloved and breathtakingly beautiful actress, style icon and media personality Linda Mtoba completely fooled The Masked Singer South Africa’s esteemed panel of detectives this week. Somizi Mhlongo, J’Something, Sithelo Shozi and Skhumba were all blushing pink after failing to identify Linda as the A-list celebrity behind the fluffy Lady Monster in Mzansi’s sensational television guessing game.

In the season’s second spectacular face-off, fans were introduced to four dazzling new Masks: the lovely Lady Monster, the adorable pooch Spotty, the menacing Mosquito and the majestic King Pie. These four Masks competed two at a time, trying to triumph over their opponents with unforgettable musical performances.

The first round saw Mosquito zoom onto the stage to outbuzz Lady Monster, who charmed the audience with a lively performance of the HUNTR/X hit “Golden“.

During Lady Monster’s time in the limelight, the four detectives chased every lead, knowing there could be clues hidden everywhere – in the song choice, costume, movements, posture and every single frame of the videotaped introduction.

Lady Monster’s clue package was set in a pastel wonderland of sweeties and candyfloss, as she shared that she started to become famous in the year Pokémon Go became a craze. “That was 2016,” J’Something noted.

But Somizi latched on to other hints. While cooking a fabulous, mysterious brew and reading a comic book, she disclosed that she never follows recipes and doesn’t believe in comic-book saviours. “Real life already demands enough belief,” she said, and even though he didn’t want to call out a name just yet, that remark convinced Somizi that he  cracked the sweet case.

However, Lady Monster’s onstage song-and-dance routine compounded the puzzle, leaving the four detectives in a tailspin.

Despite her stunning performance, J’Something doubted that she was a professional singer. Sithelo, who is ironically close friends with Linda, agreed, but also gathered that Lady Monster was clearly very family-oriented and proud of her daughter, leading her to actress Mampho Brescia.

Then, when J’Something had the chance to direct a question to Lady Monster, the detectives were none the wiser. She revealed that if she wasn’t doing what she’s famous for, she would have wanted to be a “Dr Pimple Popper“. So J’Something could only take a wild guess, naming poet and performer Busiswa Gqulu. Meanwhile, Skhumba bravely admitted he was baffled like never before. After running through virtually every female celebrity he could think of, he finally settled on actress and singer Thembi Seete. But Somizi had a vision. He declared that the ancestors had revealed to him that this was a person with a child, and that it was actress and model Brenda Ngxoli.

Reality, though, was that Lady Monster was banished to the danger zone alongside Spotty, as King Pie left no crumbs in the second face-off. Ultimately, the votes from the superfan studio audience and the detectives sent Spotty back to her kennel, safe for another day.

The detectives were flabbergasted when Linda finally showed her face, especially her bestie, Sithelo, who shouted exuberantly, “It’s Beanie! Her daughter is Beanie!”

So Skhumba teased his fellow detective, mocking her for laughing at him the previous week when he didn’t recognise his colleague Trevor Gumbi. “The wheels have turned!” Skhumba crowed.

Linda, who has been a household name since landing a leading role in Isibaya in 2016, told show host Mpho Popps that her daughter Beanie is a huge fan of the show, and that she will undoubtedly be teased by Beanie and her family for months to come.

The Masked Singer South Africa is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos.

The Masked Singer South Africa airs on Saturday at 19:00 on SABC 2, and is produced by Rose and Oaks Media for Primedia Studios, and is sponsored by Andolex®, King Pie and Mentos. Rebroadcasts are on Thursdays at 21:00 on SABC 1 and Fridays at 13:30 on SABC 2.

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