‘The Masked Singer’: Some Fans Think Pepper Is British Pop Star Natasha Bedingfield
Oct. 6 marked the return of Group A to The Masked Singer with a “House Party.” Skunk, Baby, Bull, and Hamster rocked the mic once again, but so did a new wildcard. Pepper hit the stage and sang an emotional ballad, and some fans think they’ve already cracked the TV show‘s case. Citing her recognizable voice and one telltale clue, they believe she’s a popular British singer-songwriter who went viral in early 2021.
Could ‘The Masked Singer’ Pepper be Natasha Bedingfield?
Pepper entered the stage with a strut and hot dance moves, immediately capturing everyone’s attention. After bringing some audience members and judge Nicole Scherzinger to tears with her rendition of Labrinth’s “Jealous,” she dropped a big clue. Pepper had the men in black bring out a pair of roller skates, and that sealed the deal for keen-eared fans.
Natasha Bedingfield has a song titled “Roller Skate,” leading social media users on Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram to peg her as Pepper. Many are familiar with her singing voice and detected a hint of a British accent, but the clues lined everything up.
One fan wrote, “1 million percent it’s Natasha Bedingfield!” on Instagram, and others agreed. And a group Redditors all agree it’s the singer-songwriter. One commented, “Oooh Pepper is Natasha Bedingfield. I could hear a bit of an accent and I spent my teen years listening to Pocketful of Sunshine and Unwritten pretty much on a damn loop. Natasha Beddingfield, WELCOME TO THE MASKED SINGER!”
Meanwhile judge Ken Jeong guessed Kesha, Scherzinger tossed out Hailee Steinfeld’s name, and Robin Thicke contemplated Olivia Rodrigo. He thinks because Pepper mentioned a driver’s license, it could be her. But Jenny McCarthy name-dropped Miley Cyrus, Pink, and Lady Gaga.
Bedingfield went viral on TikTok
TikTok has a way of increasing interest in new songs and reviving excitement for past hits. Bedingfield’s 2004 song “Unwritten” sparked a 2021 dance wave after someone remixed the song. Between March and May, it inspired people all over the globe to rock out, lip sync, and twerk. And then she joined in on the dance challenge, much to the delight of the internet.
The tic-tac-toe clue on The Masked Singer connects directly to Bedingfield’s viral TikTok moment that showcased her dance moves and twerking skills. She won people over. As for the “Chiliwood” clue on the show, that could be a reference to her Pepper moniker or the fact that “Unwritten” was used as the theme song for The Hills.
Another Group A contestant went home
Pepper survived the elimination round, and fans are looking forward to hearing more of her voice in the coming weeks. But it was the end of the road for Baby. It turns out that comedian-actor Larry the Cable Guy was under the mask. Group B hits the stage with more performances on the Oct. 13 episode of The Masked Singer, so be sure to tune in for “Date Night” at 8 p.m. EST.
