Linda Mtoba’s daughter inspired her to join ‘Masked Singer SA’

Linda Mtoba says her six-year-old daughter was the inspiration behind her going in disguise for season three of The Masked Singer SA.

On Saturday, the Isibaya, The River and Queendom actress became the second celebrity to be unmasked as Lady Monster.

The hardest parts? Keeping it secret from her daughter, but watching her reaction when she was unmasked made every moment worthwhile.

“We love the show at home. It’s very child-friendly and fun for the whole family. So, it was an easy ‘yes’ when I was asked to be part of it,” she said.

“I knew my daughter would be excited to see me as one of the masks and I wanted it to be a memory she’ll forever remember.”

Mtoba admitted that her daughter had her suspicions that she was the celebrity identity behind Lady Monster.

“She said, ‘Mommy, you have one of the face coverings used underneath the costume, don’t you? Does this mean you are going to be on the show?’” Mtoba laughed.

“Fortunately, I managed to convince her otherwise, but she’s very smart. I could tell she didn’t believe me.”

For Mtoba, motherhood is about creating a safe space where her children feel free to laugh, play and always be themselves.

“Motherhood means that life is an endless playground… that’s what I want my children to experience,” she said.

“She usually comes to me and says, ‘Mommy, I promise you, even when I’m 18, I’ll never say to you, Mommy, you’re not my friend. I’ll never say, Mommy, get out of my room.’

“I doubt we will ever stop being close. Especially considering the relationship I have with my mom. We’re still close and have been close.”

Mtoba added that the mask gave her a rare chance to show a side of herself audiences don’t often see.

“If you get to know me, you’ll actually see how silly and funny I am. I was not nervous at all stepping on that stage. I was ready to perform,” she said.

“I also enjoyed hiding my identity and knowing that people were thinking they were looking at someone else. It was so much fun. Such an experience was very freeing because I could perform without the expectations attached to my name. Being able to actually unleash myself, but not as myself, was very freeing.”

Although she wished she could have stayed in the competition longer, Mtoba says leaving early did not take away from the experience.

“I wanted to go on and on and on… but I think the detectives not being able to guess who is [inside the mask] is a win, in a way. I threw all of them off, even Sithelo [Shozi], who immediately identified with Lady Monster.”

As Mtoba focuses on the next chapter of her life, she says being present for her daughter is one thing she does not want to miss.

“I feel like for most of the past few years, I’ve given so much of myself to the industry. So I think it’s time for me to actually take some steps back and pour myself into my daughter,” she said.

“The age she is in right now is one that I can’t miss.”

Sowetan