The Masked Singer’s UFO finally has an identity.
At the end of Wednesday’s quarterfinals, modelOlivia Culpowas unmasked as UFO, shocking the judges with her singing skills. “I was not anticipating making it past anything,” Culpo, 30, tells PEOPLE. “I was really excited to make it as far as I did.”
The Miss Universe 2012 winner jokes, though, that because five-person group California Roll beat her “it’s really like 16th” place. “I’m at the bottom,” she says.
Culpo actually grew up playing the cello and says music has “always been a huge part of my life.” Fans of her voice can catch her singing with her brother Gus on his TikTok.
Michael Becker/FOX
“Every week my brother comes over, he makes me a martini and he forces me to sing with him on his TikTok because he’s a pianist,” Culpo, who gotengaged to NFL starChristian McCaffreylast month, says. “I don’t usually post them because I’m too embarrassed, but he gets me the cocktail and he knows that I’ll do it. Power of the martini!”
Culpo shares who knew she went on the show, how she feels about wedding planning and her other secret talents.
What made you want to go onThe Masked Singer?
“I love singing, and I wanted to do something that was outside of my comfort zone. I started playing the cello when I was 6. When I wasn’t in band camp or orchestra or All State or chamber music, traveling all over the place for that, I was in musical theater and chorus. I love singing. My whole family, we still sing together like a bunch of carolers. I wanted to just have fun. And that’s whatThe Masked Singer’s all about.”
How much could you see from inside that UFO costume?
“I couldn’t see a lot. It was really hard to breathe. It was really hard to project my voice in the apparatus. It was really challenging, but it was so fun. I feel like in my day-to-day job, it’s not really about having fun.”
Was it a relief to do something that isn’t focused on what you look like?
“Yeah. That’s the thing about music, it connects people and it doesn’t have to do with what you look like or what your identity is, per se. It’s a totally different experience, and that was a really cool thing to be a part of.”
Steven Simione/Getty
You’re very active on social media — do you ever feel pressure to keep up appearances on there?
“That’s a good point. There’s a lot of pressure in putting yourself out there in any capacity. You’re opening yourself up to a lot of criticism, and you’re also signing yourself up for a lot of responsibility in what you put out there and the way that it affects other people. There’s a lot of thoughts that go into putting your life online. With social media these days, I’m just trying to have fun with it. You have to keep in mind that it’s not real life. And if you can make it fun, then do it. If you can’t, then censor yourself from it, because it can definitely be very inundating.”
Who knew you were doing the show?
“I couldn’t tell anybody. I couldn’t tell my siblings. My family cannot keep a secret, so I had to really keep it under wraps. And it’s a lot of time. It really does take up a good chunk of your day. I was there from 9 in the morning till 9 at night most days that I was on.”
RELATED VIDEO:Masked SingerWinnerKandi BurrussReveals She Wanted to Perform with Every Genre of Music
Were there any songs that you didn’t get a chance to performonThe Masked Singer?
“There were so many. I really wanted to sing somethingChristina Aguilera. That didn’t end up happening because I got the boot. And then I really wanted to singShania Twain, but I was not there for theirCountry Night. That was sad because just love country music. And I really love Shania Twain.”
Did you feel like your pageant experience helped you onThe Masked Singer?
“I would say more of my experience playing the cello. Even to this day, it’s like getting on a bike. It’s as if nothing ever changed. And since I started when I was so little, I just grew up on stage and performing in front of people, not really thinking about ‘people are listening to me.’ Every single day of my life was playing the cello in some capacity, whether it was rehearsal or performing or whatnot. Performing as a cellist helped me prepare for Miss USA and Miss Universe. But I never even thought of it as performing. It’s just like, okay, my parents are making me do this.”
Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo.Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
“As far as the cello goes, I still play quite a bit. Just doesn’t really get picked up as much. I think classical music needs a revival of sorts, but it would be cool to be able to incorporate it more. It would definitely be fun for me.”
What are you focusing on these days?
“Getting ready for a little bit of travel coming up. I’m planning a wedding, of course. That’s a lot of work. Really fun, though. I have a movie coming out calledClawfoot. Not sure of the release date. And there are a few secret projects that I can’t talk about yet, but I’ll be announcing them.”
Do you have any other secrets that people would be surprised to learn about?
“Not dancing. I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue. I can catch things in my mouth really well from far distances. Especially M&M’s. It’s, like, one of my favorite things. I can do my whole full face of makeup without a mirror. I started doing my own makeup like this the last half a year or two years, because it’s just so much faster. I can do it while I’m walking around.”
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The Masked Singerairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
source: people.com
