The seventh series of the popular ITV singing competition The Masked Singer delivers another twist as Red Panda is unmasked as comedian Harry Hill. Celebrities hide behind elaborate costumes to perform pop songs, while judges Maya Jama, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, and Mo Gilligan attempt to identify them. With the final approaching, Red Panda’s elimination just before the semi-final comes after a performance of the Black Eyed Peas’ classic “I Gotta Feeling.”
Judges’ Guesses and the Big Reveal
Before the unmasking, the judges offered varied predictions. Maya Jama suggested Chris Ramsey, Davina McCall proposed Brian Cox, Mo Gilligan pointed to McFly’s Tom Fletcher, and Jonathan Ross guessed Rufus Hound. The reveal confirmed Harry Hill, renowned for hosting TV Burp in the 2000s.
Host Joel Dommett asked for Hill’s final thoughts, prompting the comedian to admit, “I’m not a natural singer. My wife heard me the other day and thought I was choking on a Pot Noodle!” When questioned about his experience, Hill replied, “No. Yes, of course I enjoyed it! The weird thing is, you put the thing on and you’ve got no inhibitions. The only downside is you’re breathing your own breath because it’s all trapped, and I had falafel for lunch!”
Previous Eliminations Shake Up the Competition
Last week’s episode saw Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke revealed as Arctic Fox after singing Barbra Streisand’s “Woman in Love.” Despite the performance, he exited the show. Du Beke, married to Hannah Summers with eight-year-old twins, shared his mixed emotions: “Devastated naturally. Delighted to be able to perform but devastated to have been voted off!”
He explained his participation stemmed from admiration for the program and a desire to surprise his children. “Well, it’s such a lovely show. And it’s been going a while. I wondered why no one ever asked me before! They have, I just haven’t had the time. It’s a lovely show, wonderfully done, it’s a great show. And the thought of doing this and people trying to guess who you are.”
Just prior, Kate Nash was unmasked as Monkey Business following her rendition of “As Long as He Needs Me” from the musical Oliver! Nash reflected on the challenge: “I was so nervous about it, but then I got really nervous about the mask coming off and how it was going to feel singing without the mask. It’s like a little comfort zone; you’re not worrying about anything else when you’re in there. It was a unique experience; it’s going to be hard to give her up.”
Earlier Contestant Reveals
The recent departures build on prior unmaskings. Shakespears Sister’s Marcella Detroit performed as Gargoyle for the first four weeks. Before that, former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon, known as Johnny Rotten, was revealed as Yak. Rapper Professor Green emerged as Teabag, and in the series opener, BBC’s The One Show host Alex Jones was unmasked as Disc Jockey.
As the competition intensifies, fans anticipate more surprises leading to the grand final.
