LOLLIPOP'S SWEET SUCCESS

Holly Rey chats to YOU about winning The Masked Singer SA and producing a TV baking show with her little sister

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

THERE’S no missing her as she rolls up in her shiny new Mercedes-Benz. It’s still a novelty for her to zip through Joburg traffic in the luxury car she was awarded when she was unveiled as the very first winner of The Masked Singer South Africa. And Holly Rey can now finally drive her prize without fear of anyone finding out. She had to keep secret the fact it was her inside the colourful lollipop costume – and it was really tough not to tell anyone, Holly says.

It became tricky later on in the competition as family, friends and fans started asking her if she was Lollipop.

“A lot of people felt that they knew it was me, but weren’t 100% sure because I was so good at lying,” Holly says with a cheeky chuckle as she chats to us at YOU’s Randburg office.

Holly (27) – whose real name is Holly Wasserfall – chose the costume because she thought it suited her bubbly personality. But she soon discovered it wasn’t a lot of fun wearing it. “It was one of the most physically challenging things I’ve ever done,” she says. “You have many layers of clothing on – I had long socks, leggings, Doc Martens, a long-sleeve shirt, long gloves, tulle skirt and a huge dress made from thick scuba fabric.

“Then they put a mask on you. There isn’t a lot of air circulation – there’s a little fan inside of it but it just circulates hot air.”

The singer had to wear the costume for about 30 minutes during her performances then for hours during final rehearsals. The competition relies on singers’ identities remaining a secret so “security was tight”, Holly says.