Denise Lewis mistaken for Stacey Dooley by friend on the Masked Dancer

Denise Lewis has said a close friend suspected she was competing on The Masked Dancer – but mistook her for Stacey Dooley’s character.

The Olympic gold medallist also said her family and friends had “not a scooby” she was Sea Slug on the mystery celebrity dancing show before Saturday’s unmasking.

She said: “One of my friend’s was at the house when I was going in and out and she was like ‘I wonder what she’s up to?’

“When Stacey Dooley went out, she said to me ‘ha it’s funny. I thought you were Stacey Dooley’s character’.

“And I was like ‘ha, really, what made you think that?’ and she kind of went off the scent.”

The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant, who took part in the second series back in 2004, said being on the show is part off her “bucket list”.

She has also done “unglamorous” activities like flower arranging, cutting hair and changing a tyre as she turned 50 in August.

“They are not glamorous but they are things you don’t ordinarily do,” Lewis, who recently covered the Commonwealth Games for the BBC, added.

“I managed to rope in another friend of mine and she let me do her greys and cut her hair.”

She joked: “We’re still speaking so…”

Lewis added: “Doing the Masked Dancer was one (from the bucket list). My friends all love the show and that was a real nicety to throw into the mix.”

She also said she is now part of the Sea Slug “appreciation society” after learning about the animal while doing the show.

Lewis added: “Once the character had been introduced to me I thought is the Sea Slug a thing? Is it really a creature? And I did really look up sea slugs and they are amazing.

“They have all these iridescent and gorgeous colours and so I just thought the costume was fantastic and embraced the sluggishness.”

She added: “I do love dance. I am a performer naturally. And now I’m part of the Sea Slug appreciation society.”

Lewis also had “real trepidation” about putting on the “huge head” as she is a little “claustrophobic”.

She added: “I must have looked like a Godzilla but I loved it. It was such a great thing to do.”

However, she admitted the lack of “spatial awareness” almost caused her to fall while she practised Rock-A-Bye Baby.

Lewis added at the time she felt like: “I wanted to laugh out loud but I had to smother my life as well and they were all laughing and the dancers were laughing but we had to keep anonymity.

“When I was dancing for the show, I was holding my breath, thinking I could end up on the floor at the stage.”

Lewis said she has had no luck guessing the other unmasked singers and is waiting with everyone else to find out who competitors Pearly King, Onomatopoeia and Scissors will be revealed in next week’s grand final.

“It’s the best kept secret on TV,” she said. “I kid you not…I’m guessing along with the rest of the nation.”

Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh was also revealed on Saturday as Odd Socks.

The Masked Dancer continues Saturdays at 6.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub.