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 |
The Masked Singer is a British reality singing competition and musical game show 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]
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] The fifth series began on 30 December 2023.
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 | 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" | 4.22 | |
6 | 12 | 8 | 4 January 2025 | 15 February 2025 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
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] |
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]
# | 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 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.
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]
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.
# | 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 |
# | 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 |
# | 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 |
# | 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 |
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 | 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 |
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]
Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, OBE is a television and radio presenter, broadcaster and singer from Northern Ireland. She is known for presenting programmes on the BBC and ITV, such as Rip Off Britain, and her regular appearances as a panellist on Loose Women. She has been a regular reporter on This Morning and The One Show. She also had a singing career between the 1960s and 1980s.
Loose Women is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about aspects of their lives, and discuss topical issues ranging from politics and current affairs to celebrity gossip and entertainment news. The 3,000th episode of Loose Women was broadcast on 15 May 2018. The show celebrated its 25th anniversary on 6 September 2024.
Joel Patrick Dommett is an English comedian, television presenter and actor. After beginning his career as an actor, and appearing in various television shows including Casualty and Skins, he embarked on stand-up comedy and television presenting and became known for his television roles in Live in Chelsea (2011–2012) and Impractical Jokers UK (2012–2014).
Argonon is an independent media group founded in 2011 by James Burstall, the CEO of Leopard Films. Argonon has offices in London, Los Angeles, New York, Oklahoma, and Glasgow. The group produces and distributes factual entertainment, documentary, reality, arts, drama, and children's programming for various television networks and channels worldwide, although they focus on the UK, US, and Canadian markets. Argonon produces shows such as The Masked Singer UK (ITV), Worzel Gummidge, Hard Cell (Netflix), Dispatches, Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard and House Hunters International (HGTV).
Otlile "Oti" Mabuse is a South African talent show judge, presenter, dancer and Latin dance champion currently based in the United Kingdom. She is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent, Let's Dance. She was a Dance Captain on The Greatest Dancer. Between 2021 and 2022, she was a panellist on The Masked Dancer, and has served as a judge on Dancing on Ice since 2022.
The Masked Singer is an American reality singing competition television series that premiered on Fox on January 2, 2019. It is part of the Masked Singer franchise that originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer, which features celebrities singing songs while wearing head-to-toe costumes and face masks concealing their identities. Hosted by Nick Cannon, the program employs panelists who guess the celebrities' identities by interpreting clues provided to them throughout each season. Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Rita Ora, and Robin Thicke appear in each episode and vote alongside an audience for their favorite singer after all performances have concluded. The first least popular is eliminated, taking off their mask to reveal their identity.
Masked Singer is an international music reality game show franchise. It originated from the South Korean program The King of Mask Singer, developed by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation.
Mosiah Bikila Gilligan is a British stand-up comedian, television presenter and content creator. He is known for his observational comedy. After several years of uploading comedy clips to social media, he found global success in 2017. He hosted The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (2019) on Channel 4. He currently co-hosts The Big Narstie Show on Channel 4, and is a judge on The Masked Singer UK since the second series in 2020, and a judge on The Masked Dancer UK since 2021. In 2022 Gilligan took a break from The Masked Dancer UK due to work conflicts, and was replaced by Peter Crouch.
The Masked Singer Australia is an Australian reality television singing competition show which was hosted by Osher Günsberg, that premiered on Network 10 on 23 September 2019. It is based on the international music game show franchise format Masked Singer which originated from the South Korean television program King of Mask Singer. The show was recorded at Disney Studios Australia, formerly called Fox Studios Australia.
The first series of the British version of The Masked Singer premiered on ITV on 4 January 2020, and concluded on 15 February 2020. The series was won by singer Nicola Roberts as "Queen Bee", with comedian Jason Manford finishing second as "Hedgehog", and singer Katherine Jenkins placing third as "Octopus".
The second series of the British version of The Masked Singer premiered on ITV on 26 December 2020, following a "The Story So Far" recap episode which aired on 19 December, and concluded on 13 February 2021. The series was won by singer Joss Stone as "Sausage", with singer Ne-Yo finishing second as "Badger", and singer Aston Merrygold placing third as "Robin".
The Masked Dancer is a British reality dancing competition television series that premiered on ITV on 29 May 2021. It was based on the original programme, The King of Mask Singer. In December 2021, the show was recommissioned for a second series which aired September–October 2022. In March 2024 it was officially announced by ITV that the show has been axed.
The third series of the British version of The Masked Singer premiered on ITV on 1 January 2022, following a Christmas singalong episode which aired on 25 December 2021, and concluded on 12 February 2022. The series was won by singer Natalie Imbruglia as "Panda", with singer Charlotte Church finishing second as "Mushroom", and singer Mark Feehily placing third as "Robobunny".
The first series of the British version of The Masked Dancer premiered on ITV on 29 May 2021, and concluded on 5 June 2021. The series was won by Olympic gymnast Louis Smith as "Carwash", with actress/dancer Bonnie Langford finishing second as "Squirrel", and singer Howard Donald placing third as "Zip".
The second and final series of the British version of The Masked Dancer premiered on ITV on 3 September 2022, and concluded on 22 October 2022. The series was won by actress Heather Morris as "Scissors", with actor Adam Garcia finishing second as "Onomatopoeia", and dancer/choreographer Bruno Tonioli placing third as "Pearly King".
The fourth series of the British version of The Masked Singer premiered on ITV on 1 January 2023, and concluded on 18 February 2023. The series was won by singer Charlie Simpson as "Rhino", with singer Ricky Wilson finishing second as "Phoenix", and singer Natalie Appleton placing third as "Fawn".
The eleventh season of the American television series The Masked Singer premiered on Fox on March 6, 2024. The season was won by actor Vanessa Hudgens as "Goldfish", with actor Scott Porter finishing second as "Gumball".
The fifth series of the British version of The Masked Singer premiered on ITV on 30 December 2023, following a Christmas special episode on 25 December. Joel Dommett returned as the show's presenter, whilst Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross returned as panellists. The series is the second in a two-year commissioning by ITV.
Hey Tracey! is a British comedy panel show that aired on ITV2 between 17 June 2019 and 16 December 2020. It is presented by Joel Dommett, and features Donna Preston as "Tracey". The show was created by format developers James Abadi and Sam Pollard, and saw celebrities phoning private businesses to ask general knowledge questions on behalf of civilians, who play the last question.
The sixth series of the British version of The Masked Singer will premiere on ITV in December 2024, following a Christmas special episode on 26 December. Joel Dommett is set to return as the show's presenter, whilst Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross will return as panellists, along with Maya Jama who replaced Rita Ora on the panel. The series is the first in another two-year commissioning by ITV and is also set to be accompanied by a digital spin-off show for the first time, titled The After Mask, presented by Harriet Rose.