The Masked Singer final 2023: who won ITV singing competition - finalists identities revealed

The Masked Singer has been captivating audiences since the start of the year.

ITV’s hit reality series features celebrities performing songs while hidden away under secret identities. Three of the celebs indentities remained a secret heading into the grand final.

Fans spent weeks trying to work out the identities of Rhino, Fawn and Phoenix. The highly entertaining final also saw the previous unmasked celebrities return to perform.

The three Masked Singers went into the grand finale on Saturday (18 February) hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nicola Roberts, Joss Stone and Natalie Imbruglia and win the competition. Lee Mack joined the show’s judging panel as a special guest judge for the finale, alongside returning judges Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross.

But who won The Masked Singer? Who was behind the masks of Rhino, Fawn and Phoenix? Here is all you need to know:

Who was the winner of The Masked Singer in 2023?

The winner is Rhino - who was revealed to be Busted’s Charlie Simpson.

Who was Fawn?

Going into the final, this was what was known about this contestant. is a baby deer dressed in a little dark brown jacket and white brown leggings; both with white spots on them. The mask is a brown deer with dark brown eyes and a light brown bow with white spots.

Here are some of the clues so far:

• Fawn asks for no milk but five sugars in her coffee.
• They have an interest in Maths.
• Fawn mentioned the words black coffee and shandy.
• The riddle was “I live in a cottage and not in a palace, I’ve visited wonderland but my name isn’t Alice.

Fawn did not make it into the final two and was revealed to be Natalie Appleton from the band All Saints. The judges had been close-ish and had guessed other members of All Saints, but didn’t pick Natalie.

Who was Rhino?

Rhino wears a red cowboy hat, a red shirt and red cowboy boots. This celebrity is fairly tall and they have caught the attention of judge Davina McCall with their emotive stage presence.

Here are some of the clues so far:

• Rhino gave this riddle: “I’m chief of this town, and happy go-lucky. But one you guys might think I’m quite muggy.”
• Three arrows were shown behind Rhino.
• In Rhino’s first VT, a sign appeared that said: “Welcome to Cobalt.”

The winner will reveal their identity after one final performance. He was revealed to be Charlie Simpson from Busted.

Who was Phoenix?

Phoenix is a mythological creature - a bird that burst into flames when it dies, and then is reborn from the ashes. Similar to Fawkes in Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.

The celebrity is wearing an elaborate feathered costume and it is someone who clearly knows how to stand out from the crowd.

Here are some of the clues so far:

• Phoenix revealed that they are good at reinventing themselves as they have been born anew and reincarnated.
• They were a fairly quiet child.
• Their riddle was: “I’m all flame and fire, my feather ablaze, it may intrigue you to learn, I’ve been a catchphrase
• They are good at following a trail and have been shown inspecting footprints while using a magnifying glass.

Phoenix came in second place and was revealed to be Ricky Wilson from Kaiser Chiefs.