Phoenix has been unmasked in The Masked Singer final (Picture: ITV)

The runner-up of this season’s The Masked Singer has been unmasked, with Phoenix revealed as Kaiser Chiefs front-man Ricky Wilson after weeks of speculation.

Following Fawn being revealed as All Saints singer Natalie Appleton earlier in the episode, it was time to find out who would be next.

While there were plenty of guesses from both the panel and people watching along at home as to who Phoenix could be, the reveal was no less stressful.

Some watching along might have known exactly who it was behind the mask the whole time, while others might still be scratching their heads.

Judges Rita Ora, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, and Mo Gilligan were left stunned when the star took off his mask.

But none more so than Rita, who had no clue that it was her former The Voice co-star under the mythical bird costume.

Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson made it all the way to the final (Picture: Neil Lupin/Redferns via Getty Images)

Back in 2015 the pair were both coaches on the reality singing competition.

Clearly shocked at the reveal, Rita was kicking herself she had no clue it was Ricky who had been performing as Phoenix.

‘I’m never going to forgive you ever again,’ she joked.

‘If you sang how you sing, I would have got you in a second,’ she added.

Throughout the competition, 13 contestants were whittled down, with Fawn, Phoenix and Rhino making the final.

Rhino was eventually crowned the winner, and revealed to be Busted’s Charlie Simpson.

In the lead up to the famous face behind Phoenix being revealed, there was plenty of speculation as to his identity.

Ricky and Rita were both coaches on the 2015 season of The Voice (Picture: BBC)

While some were convinced Doctor Who actor David Tennant was belting out the tunes, other people hedged their bets on people like Joe Sugg, Nicolas Hoult, Alfie Allen, Sid Owen, and even Paddy McGuinness.

Following the finale, Ricky shared more about signing up, and how he felt competing on the series.

A fan of the show, Ricky said the Viking (Morten Harket) was an old favourite.

‘He was a much better singer than me, but everyone thought he was me, so for that I’m eternally grateful,’ he added.

After people thought he might have been on the show, it encouraged Ricky to jump at the opportunity when approached.

‘If people thought I should be there, then why not,’ he said.

While he initially wanted to dress as ‘something funny, like a spanner or phone charger’, once he saw the sketches for Phoenix, he was sold.

Taking to the stage for the first time also sparked some of the ‘most intense’ nerves he had in years because he didn’t want to disappoint.

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Although he was convinced people would see through the mask and figure out it was him early, he joked that ‘every wrong guess was a bonus’.

He also shared that this might not be the last time we see him in costume, telling people to keep an eye out for Phoenix when ‘all the Masked Singers headline Glastonbury in 2050’.

The Masked Singer is streaming on ITVX.

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