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The Masked Singer (British TV series)

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For the upcoming series, see The Masked Singer (British TV series) series 6.

The Masked Singer
Genre
Based on
Creative directorBeth Honan
Presented byJoel Dommett
Starring
Theme music composer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes41
Production
Executive producers
  • Claire Horton
  • Derek McLean
  • Daniel Nettleton
ProducerTom Gills
Production locationITV Studios Bovingdon[1]
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time90 mins (inc. adverts)
Production companyBandicoot
Original release
NetworkITV
Release4 January 2020 (2020-01-04) –
present
Related
The Masked Dancer

The Masked Singer is a British reality singing competition television series that premiered on ITV on 4 January 2020. It is based on the Masked Singer franchise which originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer which features celebrities singing famous songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities.[2][3][4] In February 2022, the show was recommissioned for a fourth and fifth series. The show won an International Emmy for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment in 2021.[5]

Production

[edit]

On 31 May 2019, it was announced that ITV was producing a local version of the South Korean television singing competition King of Mask Singer, originally broadcast by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, for the British television market.[2] The production is made by British television production company Bandicoot, part of the Argonon Group.[6][7]

On 25 January 2020, it was announced that the show would be returning for a second series.[8] On 30 April 2020, it was reported that they were considering filming the new series without an audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] It was later announced on 17 August 2020 that filming would begin on 14 September with safety precautions in place.[10] On 1 December 2020, it was announced that the second series would premiere on 26 December 2020, with a "The Story So Far" recap airing on 19 December.[11]

On 14 February 2022, following the conclusion of the third series, ITV announced the commission of a fourth and fifth series.[12][13] The fourth series began on 1 January 2023.[14] The fifth series began on 30 December 2023.

Cast

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Panellists and host

[edit]
Current series panellists and host
Mo Gilligan
Davina McCall
Maya Jama
Jonathan Ross
Joel Dommett

Following the announcement of the series, it was confirmed by ITV that the panel would consist of presenter and comedian Jonathan Ross, television presenter Davina McCall, American actor and comedian Ken Jeong (who is also a panellist on the American version of the programme), and singer-songwriter and actress Rita Ora. It was also confirmed that Joel Dommett would host the show.[15][3]

On 19 August 2020, it was announced that British comedian Mo Gilligan would replace Ken Jeong on the panel for series two, due to travel restrictions from COVID-19 preventing his participation.[16][17] Gilligan has continued to serve as a panellist in subsequent series of the show. Maya Jama was announced as a replacement for Rita Ora (who became a panellist on the American version) on 25 September 2024, taking her place on the panel for the series six.[18]

Series overview

[edit]
Series overview
SeriesContestantsEpisodesOriginally airedWinnerRunner-upThird placeAverage viewers
(millions)
First airedLast aired
11284 January 2020 (2020-01-04)15 February 2020 (2020-02-15)Nicola Roberts
as "Queen Bee"		Jason Manford
as "Hedgehog"		Katherine Jenkins
as "Octopus"		6.47
212826 December 2020 (2020-12-26)13 February 2021 (2021-02-13)Joss Stone
as "Sausage"		Ne-Yo
as "Badger"		Aston Merrygold
as "Robin"		7.64
31281 January 2022 (2022-01-01)12 February 2022 (2022-02-12)Natalie Imbruglia
as "Panda"		Charlotte Church
as "Mushroom"		Mark Feehily
as "Robobunny"		6.07
41281 January 2023 (2023-01-01)18 February 2023 (2023-02-18)Charlie Simpson
as "Rhino"		Ricky Wilson
as "Phoenix"		Natalie Appleton
as "Fawn"		5.50
512830 December 2023 (2023-12-30)17 February 2024 (2024-02-17)Danny Jones
as "Piranha" 		Alex Brooker
as "Bigfoot" 		Lemar
as "Cricket"		4.22
61284 January 2025 (2025-01-04)TBATBATBATBATBA

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Result Ref.
2021 British Academy Television Awards Entertainment Programme Nominated [19]
2023 British Academy Television Awards Entertainment Programme Won [20]
2022 British Academy Television Craft Awards Entertainment Craft Team Nominated [21]
2022 Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Best Entertainment Nominated [22]
2021 International Emmy Awards Non-Scripted Entertainment Won [23]
2020 Royal Television Society Costume Design – Entertainment & Non Drama Won [24]
2021 Nominated [25]
Entertainment Won [26]
2022 Nominated [27]
2023 National Television Awards The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award Nominated [28]
[edit]

ITV2 one-off special

[edit]

On 26 April 2020, Dommett invited panellists McCall and Ross to appear on his show, Home Alone with Joel Dommett, on ITV2 to take part in a one-off special of The Masked Singer. With COVID-19 spreading and residents of the United Kingdom under lockdown, Dommett had to conference call the panellists where they had to guess the identities of three masked celebrities. McCall and Ross were tasked with not only guessing their identities, but also deciding on an overall 'winner' and 'runner-up'.[29]

The celebrities' performances were pre-recorded and consisted of them singing, followed by a hint to their identity, before their reveal at the end of the segment. Rather than the typical costumes and masks that contestants usually wear on the show, the recordings were edited to hide each singer's face with a specific image.[30]

Performances on Home Alone with Joel Dommett
# Stage name Song Identity Result
1 Teddy Bear "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones Ore Oduba RUNNER-UP
2 Smiley Face "Sweat (A La La La La Long)" by Inner Circle James Argent THIRD
3 Robot "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears Chesney Hawkes WINNER

The Masked Singer: Unmasked

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The Masked Singer: Unmasked is the companion show presented by Capital Xtra's Will Njobvu. It is shown on the ITV Hub straight after the main show and is later aired on ITV2 the following Saturday. The show features interviews from the judges and the unmasked celebrity from that episode. It takes us behind the scenes to see what actually goes on at the "most secretive show on TV".[31]The show did not return for the third series.

The Masked Dancer

[edit]
Main article: The Masked Dancer (British TV series)

On 4 March 2021, it was announced that ITV commissioned a dancing spinoff series that shares the same name of the American version. The series had 12 contestants competing through seven episodes, and was hosted by Dommett, with Ross, Gilligan, McCall, and Oti Mabuse serving as panellists.[32] It premiered on 29 May 2021,[33][34] filling in the late spring 2021 slot of Britain's Got Talent,[35] which had its upcoming series 15 postponed until 2022 due to health and safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.[36]

The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special

[edit]

On 30 August 2022, it was announced that ITV had commissioned a one-off I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! special of The Masked Singer,[37] would air on 6 November 2022, ahead of the launch show for the 2022 series.[38] The special saw four former campmates perform in costume, with their identities revealed over the course of the episode. Dommett hosted the special and was joined by regular The Masked Singer panellists Gilligan, McCall, Ora, and Ross.[38] John Thomson, who had previously competed in the second series as "Bush Baby", reprised his role to provide the panel with clues for the competitors. The special returned in 2023, once again airing immediately prior to the launch show.

Special 1 (6 November 2022)

[edit]
First performances on The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Witchetty Grub[39] "Moving On Up" by M People Alison Hammond OUT
2 Koala[39] "Could It Be Magic" by Take That undisclosed WIN
3 Cockroach[39] Go the Distance by Michael Bolton Russell Watson OUT
4 Kangaroo[39] "Lush Life" by Zara Larsson undisclosed WIN
Second performances on The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Koala "If I Can Dream" by Elvis Presley Vernon Kay WINNER
2 Kangaroo "Just Got Paid" by Sigala, Ella Eyre & Meghan Trainor feat. French Montana Sinitta RUNNER-UP

Special 2 (19 November 2023)

[edit]
First performances on The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Dunny "She Bangs" by Ricky Martin undisclosed WIN
2 Huntsman "Love Really Hurts Without You" by Billy Ocean Linford Christie OUT
3 Bearded Dragon "Time To Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman undisclosed WIN
4 Wombat "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison Andy Whyment OUT
Second performances on The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Dunny "Cake By The Ocean" by DNCE Joe Pasquale WINNER
2 Bearded Dragon "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)" by Dua Lipa Myleene Klass RUNNER-UP

The Masked Singer: Christmas Special 1 (25 December 2023)

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First performances on The Masked Singer: Christmas Special[40]
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Partridge (in a Pear Tree) "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Andy Williams undisclosed WIN
2 Sprout "Good King Wenceslas" Traditional song Tony Robinson OUT
3 Decorations "Merry Christmas Everyone" by Shakin' Stevens Julian Clary OUT
4 Reindeer "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee undisclosed WIN
Second performances on The Masked Singer: Christmas Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Partridge (in a Pear Tree) "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives Ainsley Harriott WINNER
2 Reindeer "Underneath the Tree" by Kelly Clarkson Carol Vorderman RUNNER-UP

The Masked Singer: Christmas Special 2 (26 December 2024)

[edit]
First performances on The Masked Singer: Christmas Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Christmas Cracker "Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes Josie Gibson OUT
2 Star "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland undisclosed WIN
3 Turkey Crown "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul McCartney Motsi Mabuse OUT
4 Nutcracker "Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea undisclosed WIN
Second performances on The Masked Singer: Christmas Special
# Stage Name Song Identity Result
1 Star "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway Davina McCall RUNNER-UP
2 Nutcracker "The Christmas Song" by Mel Tormé Holly Johnson WINNER

The Masked Singer Live tour

[edit]

A live arena tour of the show began during the 2022 Easter holidays, travelling across the UK. The tour consisted of two touring judges, Denise van Outen (who appeared as "Fox" in series one) and Aston Merrygold (who appeared as "Robin" in series two), with a guest judge at each location. Panda, Dragon, Unicorn, Badger and Traffic Cone starred on the tour with two new characters: Space Pug and Baby Dino, who were unmasked at every performance.

Venue[41] Date[41] Venue Judge[42] Space Pug Baby Dino
Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena 2 April 2022 Samia Longchambon Simon Gregson Sinitta
London, O2 Arena 3 April 2022 Jonathan Ross Bill Bailey Maisie Smith
Birmingham, Utilita Arena 5 April 2022 Mo Gilligan Lee Latchford-Evans Claire Sweeney
Newcastle, Utilita Arena 8 April 2022 Scarlett Moffatt Ranj Singh Jenny Ryan
Glasgow, OVO Hydro 9 April 2022 Sanjeev Kohli Ranj Singh Sinitta
Manchester, AO Arena 10 April 2022 Nicola Roberts Lee Latchford-Evans Jacqueline Jossa
Leeds, First Direct Arena 13 April 2022 Duncan James Jenny Ryan
Sheffield, Utilita Arena 15 April 2022 Martine McCutcheon Lee Latchford-Evans Claire Sweeney
Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena 16 April 2022 Natalie Imbruglia Ranj Singh Maisie Smith
Wembley, OVO Arena 18 April 2022 Davina McCall Duncan James Jacqueline Jossa

Butlin's live show tour

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Since 2023, The Masked Singer has been touring Butlin's holiday camps during selected school holidays. The show features real costumes used in the television series and each live show includes an unmasking of a famous celebrity. The show was hosted by CBBC presenters Sam and Mark. The live show returned for the 2024 season with a custom made costume for the resort, Stick Of Rock.[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "SRO Audiences". Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b Peter White (31 May 2019). "ITV Orders UK Version Of Hit Reality Series The Masked Singer From Argonon's Bandicoot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  3. ^ a b Susannah Alexander (8 September 2019). "The Masked Singer confirms its complete all-star panel and reveals its new host". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  4. ^ Angela Law (11 October 2019). "Rita Ora and Ken Jeong Are Joining the Judging Panel on The Masked Singer UK". PopSugar. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  5. ^ William Earl (22 November 2021). "The Masked Singer, Call My Agent, Tehran Among International Emmy Award Winners". Variety. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  6. ^ "ITV commissions The Masked Singer – Bandicoot". Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  7. ^ "ITV commissions The Masked Singer". Press Centre. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  8. ^ Ed Gleave (25 January 2020). "Surprise hit The Masked Singer returning for second series after beating Doctor Who". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  9. ^ Manori Ravindran (30 April 2020). "ITV Mulls 'Feasibility' of Love Island Amid Coronavirus, Competing With Netflix & Insurance Woes". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  10. ^ Jake Kanter (17 August 2020). "The Masked Singer UK To Be Filmed In Front Of Live Studio Audience Next Month". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  11. ^ Josh Darvill (1 December 2020). "The Masked Singer UK series 2 start date confirmed as show returns this Christmas". TellyMix. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  12. ^ Max Goldbart (14 February 2022). "Masked Singer UK Recommissioned For Two More Series By ITV". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  13. ^ Naman Ramachandran (14 February 2022). "The Masked Singer U.K. Commissioned for Two More Seasons at ITV". Variety. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  14. ^ Claire Crick (15 December 2022). "Masked Singer UK season 4: air date, panel, presenter and all we know". whattowatch. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  15. ^ "ITV announces host and panel for new ITV show The Masked Singer". ITV Press Centre. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
  16. ^ Justin Harp (19 August 2020). "The Masked Singer UK announces new judge as Ken Jeong takes break". Digital Spy. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  17. ^ Jake Kanter (19 August 2020). "Ken Jeong Drops Out Of The Masked Singer UK Amid Coronavirus Travel Restrictions". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  18. ^ "The Masked Singer announces Rita Ora's judge replacement". The Independent. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  19. ^ "2021 Television Entertainment Programme". bafta.org. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  20. ^ TV, Guardian (14 May 2023). "Bafta TV awards 2023: the full list of winners". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  21. ^ "2022 Television Entertainment Craft Team". bafta.org. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Broadcasting Press Guild Awards nominations 2022". comedy.co.uk. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  23. ^ Erik Pedersen (22 November 2021). "International Emmys: Masked Singer, Tehran, Call My Agent! Among Winners – Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Winners of the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2020 announced". rts.org.uk. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  25. ^ "THE BBC LEADS AGAIN WITH 11 WINS AT THE RTS CRAFT AND DESIGN AWARDS 2021". ibc.org. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Winners of the RTS Programme Awards 2021 announced". rts.org.uk. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  27. ^ K.J. Yossman (29 March 2022). "RTS Program Awards 2022 Start With a Slap Before Honoring Winners Including Jack Thorne, Russell T. Davies". Variety. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  28. ^ Duke, Simon (5 September 2023). "National Television 2023 winners as big names triumph at O2 Arena". Chronić le Live. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  29. ^ "The Masked Singer returns for a special lockdown edition with Joel Dommett". Digital Spy. 25 April 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Masked Singer judges stunned after discovering identity of mystery celebs on lockdown special". Daily Mirror. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  31. ^ Joe Julians (14 December 2020). "When is The Masked Singer Unmasked on?". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  32. ^ Naman Ramachandran (4 March 2021). "ITV Unveils The Masked Dancer After Hit Show The Masked Singer". Variety. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  33. ^ Josh Darvill (19 May 2021). "The Masked Dancer start date and first look revealed!". TellyMix. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  34. ^ Lauren Morris (18 May 2021). "The Masked Dancer release date: judges, contestants, clues and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  35. ^ Jake Kanter (4 March 2021). "ITV Orders The Masked Dancer Following The Success Of The Masked Singer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  36. ^ "Britain's Got Talent Series 15 Postponed 'til 2022". ITV. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  37. ^ Stefania Sarrubba (30 August 2022). "The Masked Singer announces I'm A Celebrity special". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  38. ^ a b Katie Rosseinsky (27 October 2022). "The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity special release date - When show airs on ITV". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  39. ^ a b c d "The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  40. ^ "The Masked Singer reveals characters for Christmas Special". Virgin Radio. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Tour Dates – The Masked Singer Live". themaskedsingerliveuk.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  42. ^ "Cast – The Masked Singer Live". themaskedsingerliveuk.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  43. ^ "The Masked Singer Live® | Butlin's".
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