Filipino singer and television host was revealed as L’Âne after performing Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” in the finale
Filipino singer, dancer and television host Billy Crawford won the ninth season of France’s Mask Singer, adding another French television title to a career that has moved between European pop music and Philippine broadcasting.
Crawford was revealed as L’Âne, or The Donkey, during the TF1 finale on June 27. He performed Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” before being named the season winner and removing the character’s mask.
French singer Carla Lazzari, who competed as Le Poussin, finished second, while singer Anisha Jo, appearing as Le Bouquet, placed third. The program, hosted by Camille Combal, follows the international Masked Singer format in which celebrities perform in costume while panelists and viewers try to identify them.
After the finale, Crawford thanked the production and costume teams, the audience and his family. He said the donkey character carried personal meaning because he chose it with his son, Amari, in mind.
The victory was Crawford’s second on a French television competition. In 2022, he and professional dancer Fauve Hautot won the 12th season of Danse avec les stars, France’s version of Dancing with the Stars.
His success on French television extends a relationship with the country that began during his recording career in the early 2000s. Songs including “Trackin’,” “When You Think About Me,” “You Didn’t Expect That” and “Me passer de toi” helped establish him with French audiences. In 2003, the NRJ Music Awards named him international male artist of the year.
Crawford later became a familiar television presence in the Philippines as a host and performer. He also had prior experience with the franchise, having hosted Masked Singer Pilipinas when the Philippine adaptation premiered on TV5 in 2020.
His appearance in France placed him in a different role. Rather than guiding viewers through the identities of masked performers, he spent the season competing anonymously inside one of the show’s elaborate costumes.
The result brought together two phases of Crawford’s career: his early success as a recording artist in France and his later work as a television performer in both France and the Philippines.
