The Masked Singer is a British reality singing competition television series that premiered on ITV1 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]
| The Masked Singer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Creative director | Beth Honan |
| Presented by | Joel Dommett |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 41 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Tom Gills |
| Production location | ITV Studios Bovingdon[1] |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 90 mins (inc. adverts) |
| Production company | Bandicoot |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 4 January 2020 – present |
| Related | |
| The Masked Dancer | |
Production
On 31 May 2019, it was announced that ITV1 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, ITV1 announced the commission of a fourth and fifth series.[12][13] The fourth series began on 1 January 2023.[14]
Cast
Panellists and host
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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, US 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.
Series overview
| Series | Contestants | Episodes | Originally aired | Winner | Runner-up | Third place | Average viewers (millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||||||
| 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 January 2020 | 15 February 2020 | Nicola Roberts as "Queen Bee" | Jason Manford as "Hedgehog" | Katherine Jenkins as "Octopus" | 6.47 | |
| 2 | 12 | 8 | 26 December 2020 | 13 February 2021 | Joss Stone as "Sausage" | Ne-Yo as "Badger" | Aston Merrygold as "Robin" | 7.64 | |
| 3 | 12 | 8 | 1 January 2022 | 12 February 2022 | Natalie Imbruglia as "Panda" | Charlotte Church as "Mushroom" | Mark Feehily as "Robobunny" | 6.07 | |
| 4 | 12 | 8 | 1 January 2023 | 18 February 2023 | Charlie Simpson as "Rhino" | Ricky Wilson as "Phoenix" | Natalie Appleton as "Fawn" | 5.50 | |
| 5 | 12 | 8 | 30 December 2023 | 17 February 2024 | Danny Jones as "Piranha" | Alex Brooker as "Bigfoot" | Lemar as "Cricket" | TBA | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | British Academy Television Awards | Entertainment Programme | Nominated | [18] |
| 2023 | British Academy Television Awards | Entertainment Programme | Won | [19] |
| 2022 | British Academy Television Craft Awards | Entertainment Craft Team | Nominated | [20] |
| 2022 | Broadcasting Press Guild Awards | Best Entertainment | Nominated | [21] |
| 2021 | International Emmy Awards | Non-Scripted Entertainment | Won | [22] |
| 2020 | Royal Television Society | Costume Design - Entertainment & Non Drama | Won | [23] |
| 2021 | Nominated | [24] | ||
| Entertainment | Won | [25] | ||
| 2022 | Nominated | [26] | ||
| 2023 | National Television Awards | The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award | Nominated | [27] |
Spin-offs and related shows
ITV2 one-off special
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'.[28]
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.[29]
| # | 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
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".[30]The show did not return for the third series.
The Masked Dancer
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.[31] It premiered on 29 May 2021,[32][33] filling in the late spring 2021 slot of Britain's Got Talent,[34] which had its upcoming series 15 postponed until 2022 due to health and safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.[35]
The Masked Singer: I'm a Celebrity Special
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,[36] would air on 6 November 2022, ahead of the launch show for the 2022 series.[37] 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 panelists Gilligan, McCall, Ora, and Ross.[37] 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)
- Group performance: "Down Under" by Men at Work
| # | Stage Name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witchetty Grub[38] | "Moving On Up" by M People | Alison Hammond | OUT |
| 2 | Koala[38] | "Could It Be Magic" by Take That | undisclosed | WIN |
| 3 | Cockroach[38] | Go the Distance by Michael Bolton | Russell Watson | OUT |
| 4 | Kangaroo[38] | "Lush Life" by Zara Larsson | undisclosed | WIN |
| # | 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)
- Group performance: "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
| # | 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 |
| # | 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 (25 December 2023)
- Group performance: "One More Sleep" by Leona Lewis
| # | 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 |
| # | 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 Live tour
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[40] | Date[40] | Venue Judge[41] | 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 | Nicola Roberts | 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
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.[42]
