In a house on Lidingö outside Stockholm, there are two daughters and four grandchildren who will not forget Good Friday 2023. Then they got to see their father and grandfather, also Sweden’s national football captain, revealed as Mullvaden in TV4’s hit program “Masked singer”.
— I promise they will be in shock, Janne Andersson says with a laugh a few days before the pre-recorded program is broadcast on TV4.
Janne Andersson as Mole in “Masked singer”. Press photo.
“Masked singer” is popular in the Andersson family who usually watch and guess together, but separately, via a What’s App group on Fridays because the daughters and grandchildren (the latter aged 2–5) live in different places in Sweden .
But Janne Andersson’s two daughters and their families are celebrating Easter this year at the home of the national team captain and his wife Ulrika. That makes it much more fun for Janne Andersson.
— We will see it together. It will be so fun to see their reactions. Because none of them know about this, says Janne Andersson and laughs amused at his coup.
Super secret
The secrecy has been great. Only Janne Andersson’s wife and a few other people close to him have known about his involvement in advance. The question from the program came already last summer and after a few months he was convinced to join.
This is how we are used to seeing Janne Andersson, in the national team context with Zlatan and the others, but since last summer he has also secretly practiced singing for his participation in “Masked singer”. Archive image.
Since then, he has sneaked away at least once a week to practice with the singing teacher Suss – also during national team meetings, live or via Facetime. During the Christmas holiday, he drove off in the car and sang so that the family wouldn’t notice.
— When I was on my way to the national team meeting in Portugal in January, I went out and sang in the street with Suss on Facetime and trained, Janne Andersson tells me amusedly.
Few thought that the 60-year-old football coach could be part of an entertainment program on television. That is also the reason for his participation, says Janne Andersson, who sang E-Type’s “Life” and “I’m too sexy” with Right Said Fred in the program.
— Those who know me and have heard me try to sing know that I CAN’T venture further outside the “comfort zone” – and therefore it was cool to do it.
Another page
Janne Andersson recently argued with expert Bojan Djordjic on live TV after Sweden’s World Cup qualifying match against Azerbaijan. Then he received massive criticism for his behavior and several demanded his resignation.
TT: Does it feel good to show another side of yourself in a context like this?
— I am completely prestigeless and have no need to play a game. I am who I am for better or for worse and I’m happy to offer this. It does absolutely nothing to me and this was great fun.
In addition, Janne Andersson has benefited from his participation in his regular job.
— This was recorded in January. Then when we were on tour with the national team, I thought I sang the national anthem a little better than usual. It sounded a little more tolerable than it usually does.