Aussie singer Tina Arena has claimed she was the victim of a hack and a deepfake image after she was pictured rehearsing with US superstar Katy Perry at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.
In a clearly tongue-in-cheek interview with Nat Barr and Matt Shirvington on Sunrise on Friday, Arena was quizzed about photos showing a powerhouse performance next to the Roar singer this week — all but confirming her involvement in the grand final.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sunrise hosts grill Tina Arena over rehearsal shots.
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Perry has already teased that an Australian singer would join her on stage, and it has been widely rumoured to be Arena.
“The elephant in the room, Tina, there has been footage rolling around of you. We saw you rehearsing at the MCG. What’s going on there?” Shirvo asked the songstress.
A quick-thinking Arena told the host the photos were “deepfakes” and claimed to be the victim of a hack — but Nat and Shirvo weren’t buying it.
“Let me put the elephant in the middle of the room, so everybody can see it. Artificial intelligence, Shirvo. You do know about that?” Arena said, smirking.
“You’ve been deepfaked?” Shirvo asked, with a wide smile.
“I have been deepfaked,” Arena said.
“They deepfaked you into the MCG?” Nat Barr chimed in.
“They did, next to Katy (Perry) as well! I’m like, geez, they are really good. I have to say bravo to whoever came up with that one. I just thought brilliant,” Arena said.
“Tina has been hacked, ChatGPT’d and AI’d,” Shirvo asked.
“Story of my life. Who would have thought?” Arena said.
On Wednesday, Perry set tongues wagging when she confirmed an Aussie artist will join her on stage. However, she refused to confirm the identity was Arena, only offering a cryptic hint.
“There’s going to be a surprise performance of a favourite Australian artist that I look up to,” Perry told Sunrise on Wednesday morning.
“She will be singing a little bit with me, and I’ll be singing a little bit with her.
“I’ve been sworn to secrecy, locked up, chains — all of it.”
The AFL previously announced Australian artists Cody Simpson, Christine Anu, Zipporah Corser-Anu and Mike Brady would also perform before Saturday’s game.
Brady will perform his AFL anthem Up There Cazaly while Anu and her daughter will perform together for the First Nations ceremony alongside the Songlines Youth Choir.
Simpson, who has stepped back from his swimming pursuits to resume his music career, will perform the national anthem, reprising his role from the 2022 AFLW grand final.
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