The Masked Singer UK winner Pufferfish is a mum to one son, who she shares with her husband – here’s everything you need to know about her family life away from the stage
The Broadway sensation, aged 34, couldn’t hide her joy as she clinched the title on this year’s The Masked Singer, leaving the ITV panel – Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, Maya Jama, and guest judge Danny Jones – gobsmacked when she revealed herself from behind the pufferfish disguise. Post-win, an elated Samantha gushed: “I’ve had the best time. Underneath the mask, I’ve been smiling so hard – it’s hurting my cheeks! It’s been amazing.”
The star, famed for her stint as Elsa in Frozen on the West End, shared: “You know what this has been the most fun experience. I’ve loved this whole secret spy life and I can’t believe it’s over and I can’t believe I won? I loved Pufferfish. Now it’s gone I don’t know how to be without the Pufferfish anymore!”
As the spotlight shines on Samantha, we delve into her romantic life with her husband, fellow Broadway star Alex Michael Stoll. The pair first crossed paths during the 2018 Broadway run of Pretty Woman, where Samantha stepped into Julia Roberts’s legendary shoes as Vivian Ward.
Alex boasts an impressive resume with roles in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West Side Story, Evita, If/Then, Spiderman, and American Psycho. Three years after their fateful meeting, the couple got engaged, making their engagement Instagram official on 1 February 2021.
Samantha posted an adorable photo with Alex, flaunting her dazzling ring, captioned: “Like Beyoncé… but with an F,” reports the Mirror.
In a true storybook moment, the lovebirds said ‘I do’ in an idyllic Tuscan setting the following year, captured exclusively by OK! Guests were treated to 50 familiar faces, making the couple’s big day intimate and extra special.
The celebrations boasted personal flourishes with custom cocktails, heartwarming first dance, and indulgence in an Italian wedding cake tradition.
Samantha, along with her Frozen stage sister Steph McKeown, who plays Anna, chose a white dress that truly resonated with her. She shared with OK: “I felt very much like me in the dress, which is great.”
Post-vows, Samantha and her beau waded through a sea of rice and petals as they exited under Beyoncé’s bopping tune ‘Love On Top’, played elegantly by a harpist.
Amidst the matrimonial high, Samantha confided to OK! about her ceremony jitters, saying, “I got emotional during the ceremony,” adding that performance jitters are nothing new, but the nuptial spotlight had its own weight.
“If there was any part of the day I could have been slightly nervous for, it would have been that. Performing is what we do, so I’m so used to that, but in my mind, I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to mess anything up’. But once I got there and you see everyone, walking down with my dad and seeing Alex, the nerves went away.”
The couple later welcomed their bundle of joy, Rafael Richard Barks-Stoll, in October 2023. Bursting with maternal joy, Samantha took to Instagram to announce, “Welcome Rafael Richard Barks-Stoll, born on 16th October. My heart could burst with happiness.”
Now, she’s balancing mommy duties to her little one alongside her hubby and their cherished four-legged friend Ivy.
With The Masked Singer UK filming all wrapped up, Samantha is now gearing up for a solo concert at the iconic London Palladium this spring. The show is set to take place on April 5, brought to you by Lambert Jackson.