Olympic Champion Sarah Sjöström First Out on Masked Singer Sweden

"Masked singer" is back with new singing celebrities masked to unrecognizability. The panel is also renewed this season, with program leader Carina Berg and TV profile Behrouz "Berra" Badreh joining veterans Pernilla Wahlgren and Måns Zelmerlöw.

The premiere Friday became a tough nut to crack for the panel, which unanimously went down the wrong track in the final face-off duel between Bacillen and Fågelholken.

It was neither an influencer nor an entertainment profile hiding in the lurid purple bacillus, but swimmer Sarah Sjöström.

This was something new, if you say so, but it felt safe to have the mask as a shield, says Sarah Sjöström about her participation and reveals that it was her own idea to rap.

On the wrong track

Clues like Alice in Wonderland, OS-by, and simsalabim didn't get the clocks going for the panel, even though Sarah Sjöström's name had occurred in speculations earlier years.

No, they were very far off. My costume was also difficult because you don't get any clues from body language, says Sjöström.

The bacillus costume was both warm and quite cumbersome, confirms the pregnant swimming star, who wasn't overly disappointed about being eliminated first.

Of course, I would have liked to go another round, but it's okay, I'm pretty laid-back when it comes to this kind of thing. There was tough competition with very many talented people, says she.

Not edited out

Can we expect to see you in more unexpected contexts during your sabbatical year from swimming?

We'll see what comes up. Nothing is planned right now, but who knows what's next. I'm very glad I threw myself into this anyway, says Sarah Sjöström.

There have been speculations that TV4 would have edited the premiere program of "Masked singer" after the news of Måns Zelmerlöw's and Ciara Janson Zelmerlöw's divorce.

It was denied, however, by program leader David Hellenius earlier in the week.