Australian Kmart shoppers were stunned after learning a surprising fact about the woman who is the voice behind the store’s iconic ads.
Mahalia Brown has one of the most recognizable voices in Australia, and her tone can be heard in Kmart adverts played in stores, on the radio and on television.
However, shoppers were surprised to learn the Melbourne voice actor, 39, doesn’t sound the same in real life.
She became “the voice of Kmart” after impressing the company with the “friendly, welcoming” and natural sound of her voice.
But in reality, Mahalia has a much stronger Australian accent than what’s heard in the ads, and fans were stunned after hearing her voice in real life in a video.
Her vocal change drew attention when she took to TikTok over the weekend to share a funny story about her watching Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.
She revealed that while she was in the live studio audience in New York, a comedian who was working as a stand-up asked if there was anyone from abroad.
Mahalia then debuted her usual strong Australian accent as she detailed the humorous chat she had with the comedian about Down Under slang, including phrases like ‘sunnies’ and ‘avo’.
Australian Kmart shoppers were stunned after learning a surprising fact about Mahalia Brown (pictured), the woman who is the voice behind the store’s iconic ads.
She remembered how he told her what he did during the exchange and quickly adopted his famous Kmart voice at the end to prove his point.
Debuting the now-famous voice heard in the ads, he said in a strikingly different tone: “Kmart, low prices for life.”
Fans quickly took to the comments to share their surprise that she was the voice of Kmart’s ads, with many saying they didn’t believe her until the end.
Are you the Kmart lady? “This is how I will present myself from now on,” wrote one of them.
Another said: ‘I didn’t understand it so you said it and I was like yaaaassss!’
While a third commented: “I love this elegance, Kmart’s voice is so comforting,” and another added: “Haha that’s unreal!”
He has one of the most recognizable voices in Australia, and his tone is heard in Kmart adverts played in stores, on radio and television.
Earlier this year, Mahalia told how the company was attracted to the “relaxed” voice when she auditioned for the voice role early last year.
“They seemed to like that I had a more relaxed and smiley sound, that wasn’t too aggressive or full of energy,” he told FEMAIL.
While she doesn’t get recognized when she’s out in public, she can’t help but hear herself when shopping in a store.
‘I hear myself all the time! I love it! “I feel very proud because it is a dream come true,” she said.
“I never thought my career would lead me to voice acting; I thought I would do mostly television acting.”
She has also voiced advertisements for other renowned brands including Michael Hill, NAB, Just Jeans, Shell, and many more.
Having been in the industry for over 15 years, he knows how to change his voice to fit different brands and underpants, even when he’s in a pinch.
However, shoppers were surprised to learn that the Melbourne voice actor, 39, doesn’t sound the same in real life.
She is often not provided a script in advance, which she said used to be “very discouraging” early in her career, but no training was required for the Kmart role.
“In this industry you have to be passionate and have thick skin, or you won’t get very far,” he said.
“I don’t allow myself to get too excited or celebrate too early until things are finalized because sometimes things can take a turn or not move forward.”
Mahalia has also had roles in several television shows, including Neighbours, Winners and Losers and Erinsborough High.
