Chrissy Metz on Her ‘Masked Singer’ Experience as Poodle Moth (Exclusive)

• Chrissy Metz was revealed as Poodle Moth on the May 8 episode of The Masked Singer.
• The This Is Us star made it to the show’s final four acts before she was unmasked following a Smackdown performance.
• Here, she talks to PEOPLE about her experience on the Fox show, why she was initially “afraid” to participate, what she’s learned along the way and what fans can expect from her moving forward.

Chrissy Metz has bid farewell to her time on The Masked Singer.

The This Is Us actress, who hid her identity underneath the Poodle Moth costume all season, got eliminated on the May 8 episode of the Fox show after making it to the final four.

“I had fun, but, of course I wanted to win,” Metz, 43, tells PEOPLE. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win.”

Though Metz was a frontrunner throughout the entire competition, she was forced to unmask after losing to Gumball in the Smackdown round after judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, and Robin Thicke voted to save the vending machine instead.

Despite her elimination, Metz says the experience was an eye-opening and positive one. “I learned a lot about myself actually,” she says. “Just pushing through the fear or the doubt or the worry, and showing up for myself. Obviously, in a healthy way, but in a way that I could have grace around it and not judge myself if I missed a note or if it was imperfect.”

Below, she talks to PEOPLE more about her experience on the show and why she’s ready to tackle her next adventure with the confidence she developed from her time as Poodle Moth.

PEOPLE: What was it like getting to perform in a costume on stage where no one knows who you are?

CHRISSY METZ: I think that was the solace that I found in the whole experience, like, “Oh, nobody knows who I am.” Which is kind of fun and also very liberating, but it was definitely challenging. I’ve said this before, but singing just on a stage without a costume is difficult enough. And so, to be in a very involved costume, I was like, “Am I going to be able to do this? What if I’m the person who faints? What if I’m the person that completely falls apart while we’re in front of a live audience?” So I really think I pushed through a lot of anxiety, which was very helpful for me. I know people hear about exposure therapy, if you’re nervous about something, you should just slowly lean into it. And because I was afraid to do it for so long, I was like, “Oh my gosh, what do I expect?” And so, you just literally take one step at a time, and that’s all you could really do in that costume anyway. I learned a lot about myself actually.

You said it was something that you were afraid to do, but you are a singer. You’ve performed on stage before. You’ve done it on This Is Us. Why was this concept a little bit more terrifying to you?

I think it’s really because everybody goes through the process of making this incredible, elaborate costume that you are trying to sing your best through with the mask. Everything’s great in theory, but in practice, it’s a whole other thing. You could put the suit on for five minutes while you’re in a fitting, but when you’re in it and the adrenaline’s going, and you have to go on stage and you have to remember your marks and all of the things that go with it, it’s just like, “Oh, this is challenging.” And I was always impressed, because I would see people in these costumes, but until you’re in it, you don’t really understand. And so, when people do really well, I’m like, “Oh, I know what that takes to do that.” Like when LeAnn Rimes was on and she just blew the house down, you’re like, “Oh, how did she… What? Incredible.” It’s so impressive.

What would you say is the biggest thing you learned about yourself through this process?

Just pushing through the fear or the doubt or the worry, and showing up for myself. Obviously, in a healthy way, but in a way that I could have grace around it and not judge myself if I missed a note or if it was imperfect. I’m like, “This is hard. This is challenging.” And just also enjoying it. I’m a perfectionist, and so sometimes, there are things that are out of my control, and sometimes, the lesson is just letting go and just being present and just enjoying yourself.

Did you come into the competition wanting to have fun or more focused on winning?

I had fun, but, of course I wanted to win. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to win. But I also know that there were some really amazing singers, and I don’t know, for me, I just had to let it go and just enjoy the process and the experience. But yes, of course, I wanted to win. It’s fun to win. And I am competitive, which is, I’m not proud of, but it’s true.

In your clue packages earlier this season, you talked about feeling like you were never enough. Going through this process and seeing what you’re capable of, has your perspective changed?

I think, not only in acting, but just life and getting through difficult times or hardships or whatever it is that life throws at you, that builds confidence. And confidence is really just trust in yourself. And so I think for a very long time, I didn’t have trust in myself because I wasn’t in a position to exercise trusting myself and having that confidence. And so, it’s important for me to do things that are uncomfortable to see how I react. So then, I can, of course, cultivate a trust, which ultimately is confidence. I think anytime we do anything, we gain that confidence. But for me, so much of not feeling worthy or feeling good enough was really about what we were seeing in the media, in TV and film. It was never a woman or a person who looked different. It was always, these are these beautiful particular people who looked a certain way, but everybody’s story is worthy of being told. And so now, I’m just so glad that art is finally imitating real life.

Did you get any messages from former castmates or friends that knew it was you underneath the costume?

Not anybody from the [This Is Us] cast, but friends would be like, “What are you up to?” And I’m like, “Oh, nothing.” I’m not a great liar at all. I’m sort of good at keeping secrets, but I’m not a great liar. It’s too much guilt. And so, I’m like, “Oh, I’m working on music.” Which was not a lie. Not the entire truth, but it’s not a lie. I’ve had tons of friends who reached out and they’re like, “Oh, are you in The Masked Singer? I know that’s you. I know your voice.” And I didn’t think that my voice was that distinct. But there’s been many people who were like, “Oh, I know 100% it’s you.” So I was like, “What are you talking about? You guys, if I was on it, I would tell you.” And they’re like, “No, because you can’t tell.” And I was like, “Yeah, but you know I can’t keep a secret.” Oh, the lies, the tangled web that we weave!

You have so much ahead of you, including starring in the STARZ drama Hunting Wives and Bank Of Dave: The Sequel, as well as your music career. Is there something on your bucket list that you still want to accomplish?

I’m working on a one-woman stage show. We’re starting to develop that and take meetings, which has been very exciting and very, very scary. But that’s why I have to do it. Of course, everything’s pie in the sky until it actually happens, but it’s been really exciting just to even get the balls in motion.

Do you have any more details about it? Is that going to be a stage production in New York City or L.A.?

Well, I think we’d like to workshop it around. And then, if I had my druthers, off-Broadway, Broadway would be an absolute dream. But I also really want all of America to see it. I think that I’m a person that people gravitated towards because I’m just a very real normal girl in this wild experience and career that I never thought would happen. So, it’s important for me to make sure it gets to the people of Middle America, and they see themselves through me and in me. So, we’ll see.

America also loves you for your portrayal of Kate Pearson on This Is Us. Your costars Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown and Chris Sullivan are less than a week away from launching their new rewatch podcast This Was Us. Can fans expect to see you on it?

Oh, yeah. They’re like my family, so yeah, as soon as I can, absolutely. It’s something that completely changed my life, and every single one of those incredible people are so important to me. So yeah, I’m excited to just chat about it. Of course, we talk when we hang out and stuff, but to actually talk in a formal setting about the show will be very fun. I think people will really enjoy it.

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The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.