We're calling it: Paulini is definitely the Spider on The Masked Singer Australia.

Warning: This post almost definitely contains spoilers for The Masked Singer Australia.

Excuse us.

It’s time to investigate the identities of strange furry animals singing on a reality TV show.

With only five masks left – Robot, Monster, Spider, Unicorn and Wolf – suspense is certainly rising on The Masked Singer Australia.

In the few weeks that the show has been on our screens, we’ve predicted that Robot is Cody Simpson, Unicorn is Deni Hines, Monster is Gorgi Coghlan and Wolf is Rob Mills. (Yep, we’re dedicated.)

But what about the Spider? After some serious investigative sleuthing, we’re (almost) certain it’s singer-songwriter and former Australian Idol star Paulini Curuenavuli.

We dive into all the behind the scenes info you need to know about The Masked Singer Australia on The Spill. Post continues after audio.

Who is the Spider on The Masked Singer Australia?

Here’s all the evidence that Paulini is the Spider on The Masked Singer Australia.

According to Spider, none of the judges have come close to guessing her identity, so that rules out Jessica Mauboy, Dami Im, Willow Smith, Amy Sheppard, La Toya Jackson and Sia (Dave Hughes, please).

Clue: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, or call a fireman, but don’t burn.”

Evidence: This clue could be a reference to Paulini’s 2012 song, ‘Fireman,’ and the music video for ‘Rough Day,’ which also features the singer in a kitchen.

Clue: The pictures of Pope Benedict XVI and Jennifer Aniston.

Evidence: Both Paulini and Jennifer Aniston have played characters named Rachel; Jennifer as Rachel Green on Friends and Curuenavuli as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard Musical. Paulini’s connection to Pope Benedict XVI dates back to 2008, when the singer performed for the religious leader.

Clue: “My initial fame had a golden aura.”

Evidence: While appearing on the first season of Australian Idol, Paulini was famously criticised by judge Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickinson for the way her body looked in a figure-hugging gold dress. At the time, the criticism sent the Australian media into meltdown.

 

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A post shared by PAULINI (@paulini_curuenavuli) on Jul 16, 2019 at 4:29pm PDT

Clue: “Sometimes you’re a part of a team and sometimes you’re solo.”

Evidence: Throughout most of 2006, Paulini was part of the all-girl group Young Divas alongside former Australian Idol contestants Ricki-Lee Coulter, Emily Williams and Kate DeAraugo. In 2008, Paulini decided to leave the group to resume her solo career.

Clue: “I can sing prayers in a Papua New Guinean dialect but I haven’t in a long time.

Evidence: Paulini made her acting debut in Sisters of War, which was set on the Papua New Guinea island of New Britain. During one scene of the film, Paulini’s character sings a latin requiem in Papua New Guinean dialect.

Clue: “I came to teamwork later in life and found happiness in a group of girls.”

Evidence: Aside from singing, Paulini also had a strong passion for playing netball.

 

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A post shared by The Masked Singer Australia (@themaskedsingerau) on Oct 14, 2019 at 1:56am PDT

Clue: “Hitting the heights for an Olympic sport is more than just a childhood dream.”

Evidence: As a teenager, Paulini was selected to perform at the Millennium Buzz spectacular, which was held in 2000 to celebrate the Sydney Olympics.

Clue: “We spiders are very level-headed, but I famously got carried away.”

Evidence: The 36-year-old has faded in and out of the spotlight since her debut on our screens in 2003, and she faced public backlash after pleading guilty to bribing a government official in order to obtain her driver’s licence in 2017.

Clue: “There’s a lot of love at home and I learnt everything I can from daddy long legs.”

Evidence: In 2017, Paulini told the Sydney Morning Herald that she credits her father with teaching her how to harmonise.

The Masked Singer Australia airs on Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten.

For more on this topic:

• Who is the Wolf on The Masked Singer Australia? It’s definitely Rob Mills.
• We’re calling it: Deni Hines is definitely the Unicorn on The Masked Singer Australia.
• Cody Simpson is 100 per cent the Robot on The Masked Singer. This is what he’s doing now.
• We’re calling it: Gorgi Coghlan is definitely the Monster on The Masked Singer Australia.
• If you think The Masked Singer Australia is wild, you should see the US version.

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