Former tennis champ Mark Philippoussis claims he has his costume from The Masked Singer

He became the first celebrity to be unmasked during Monday’s premiere episode of The Masked Singer, but Mark Philippoussis clearly wasn’t ready to farewell his Echidna costume just yet.

Appearing on The Project on Tuesday, the 43-year-old former tennis champ claimed he’d taken his costume home with him after the show.

‘I have it in my closet. Do you want me to whack it on quickly?’ he asked the show’s panelists.

He added: ‘I wasn’t sure. I didn’t realise I was supposed to leave it there. I brought it home with me.’

Mark joked that his wife of seven years, Silvana Philippoussis, had asked him to bring home the bulky costume. 

While not a professional singer, Mark admitted he enjoys singing, and said he loved ‘the concept’ of the show.

‘We’re so quick to judge sometimes, and you can listen to someone and enjoy what’s going on without judging… It was a really fun experience,’ he explained.

Mark performed George Michael’s hit Faith during the show’s season two premiere episode, but failed to progress through the competition.

The former Davis Cup two-time winner admitted he was upset to be out so early, seeing as he has a competitive streak.   

‘I was bummed. I’m going to be honest, I am competitive,’ he told host Osher Günsberg after removing his mask.   

Mark went on to say that he loves music and singing, and enjoyed his time on the show, even though it was short-lived. 

‘I mean… who doesn’t love to sing? I love music. It was an incredible adventure and it was, you know, good to do something where you’re uncomfortable,’ he said following his elimination.