The Masked Singer: Sheridan Smith thanks fans for thinking she was Sausage

Sheridan Smith has thanked Masked Singer viewers for thinking she was the celebrity contestant dressed up as a giant sausage.

The hit ITV show sees a panel of judges attempting to guess the celebrity identities of costumed contestants, all of whom belt out hit songs.

In Saturday 13 February’s series finale, the mysterious Sausage was crowned the winner of the show and revealed to have been soul singer Joss Stone all along.

That was despite speculation Sausage was in fact actor and musical theatre star Sheridan Smith, who was regularly among the bookies favourites to be identified as the anthropomorphic treat.

Masked Singer judge Jonathan Ross was also convinced Sausage was Smith.

Read more: Joss Stone wins The Masked Singer as she’s revealed as Sausage

On Twitter, Smith wrote: “I am very flattered that for eight weeks some of you thought it was me, although I do very much love eating chips & sausage with gravy.”

As well as thanking Ross for thinking she could “sing anywhere near as well” as Stone, Smith added that many of her closest friends were unconvinced by her denials.

“Even my fella and my manager thought it might be me at one point and that I’d done it on the sly,” she wrote.

The Masked Singer has been a smash hit for ITV, with the channel boasting that Saturday’s finale drew the highest ratings for any ITV entertainment show this year.

“In these testing times, we’re delighted that The Masked Singer has brought some escapist joy and light relief to so many viewers at home,” said Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, in a statement.

The Masked Singer will begin filming a third series later this year.