Kelis has been revealed as the performer in the Daisy costume in The Masked Singer.
The US R&B star, known for hits including Milkshake and Trick Me, lost her place in the ITV competition after being in the bottom two against Monster, whose identity is still unknown.
Explaining why she took part in the show, Kelis said: “People have just been telling me my voice was distinct my whole career, so I thought, well let’s see just how distinct it is.”
Oopsie Daisy 🥀 UNMASKED AT LAST 👀🎭 Did YOU guess their REAL IDENTITY? 🤔 #MaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/jYiAKtvTSw
— The Masked Singer UK (@MaskedSingerUK) January 25, 2020
Panellist Rita Ora correctly identified Kelis before she was unmasked, while guesses from the other judges were Fleur East, Neneh Cherry and Alyssa Milano.
Ora – who jumped up and down in delight as Kelis emerged from under the elaborate mask – said: “I am the first person to get it right out of all the panellists.
“You were one of the most important artists for me when I was growing up, you really were. You have the most iconic music videos and I just love you.”
Fellow judge Jonathan Ross joked: “Rita said, ‘I know it’s Kelis because I know the way she breathes.’ If I were you, I’d get a restraining order.”
During the show, which saw Donny Osmond step in for regular panellist Ken Jeong, Kelis performed Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole.
The clues that pointed to Kelis’s identity included those about food, because she is a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, and those relating to jazz, as her late father Kenneth Rogers was a jazz musician.
After being unmasked, Kelis said her two sons convinced her to take part.
She said: “They really were the main reason. They thought it was the coolest thing in the world. So I did it for them.”
The Brit Award-winning and Grammy-nominated star said she did not find keeping her part in the show a secret too hard, and that it was a “fun” experience.
She added: “If I were to do it all over again, I definitely would have done something a little more dramatic or elaborate because that’s me, but it was cute and definitely did its job.”
However, she said “the two weeks of filming was tough”, adding: “Wearing a mask everyday. No talking. Staying in your trailer. That was definitely a first.”
She said “it felt OK” to be the fifth celebrity to leave the competition.
“I was getting home sick, as I’d been away for work a lot prior to shooting, but I definitely was getting a little competitive. So maybe bittersweet?”
Ex-footballer Teddy Sheringham, The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, former home secretary Alan Johnson and EastEnders star Patsy Palmer have been unmasked in the series so far.
The show sees celebrities and public figures compete dressed in elaborate outfits which conceal their identity.
The panel consists of The Hangover star Jeong, singer Ora, chat show host Ross and TV presenter Davina McCall.
The Masked Singer continues next Saturday at 7pm on ITV.