The Masked Singer (British TV series)
The Masked Singer is a British reality singing competition television series based on the Masked Singer franchise which originated from the South Korean version of the show King of Mask Singer. It premiered on ITV on 4 January 2020.
Production
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. The production is made by British television production company Bandicoot, part of the Argonon Group.On 25 January 2020, it was announced that the show would be returning for a second series. On 30 April 2020, it was reported that they were considering filming the new series without an audience due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cast
Panelists and host
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, and singer-songwriter and actress Rita Ora. It was also confirmed that Joel Dommett would host the show.In episode 5, Donny Osmond, who appeared as Peacock in the first American series, took Jeong's place on the panel. In episode 6, Sharon Osbourne and daughter Kelly Osbourne, the latter of whom appeared as Ladybug in the second American series, filled in.
Series overview
Contestants
Episodes
Episode 1 (4 January)
Episode 2 (5 January)
Episode 3 (11 January)
Episode 4 (18 January)
Episode 5 (25 January)
Guest panelist: Donny Osmond| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Monster | "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls | RISK | |
| 2 | Fox | "On My Own" from Les Misérables | SAFE | |
| 3 | Daisy | "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole | Kelis | OUT |
| 4 | Queen Bee | "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys | SAFE | |
| 5 | Octopus | "Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey | SAFE | |
| 6 | Unicorn | "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top | SAFE | |
| 7 | Hedgehog | "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis | SAFE | |
| 8 | Duck | "Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2" by Stormzy | SAFE |
Episode 6 (1 February)
Guest panelists: Sharon Osbourne and Kelly OsbourneGroup number: "High Hopes" by Panic! at the Disco
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Fox | "Firework" by Katy Perry | RISK | |
| 2 | Duck | "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion | Skin | OUT |
| 3 | Unicorn | "Girls & Boys" by Blur | Jake Shears | OUT |
| 4 | Queen Bee | "Heaven" by DJ Sammy | SAFE | |
| 5 | Monster | "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man | SAFE | |
| 6 | Hedgehog | "I'd Do Anything for Love " by Meat Loaf | SAFE | |
| 7 | Octopus | "I'll Never Love Again" by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper | SAFE |
Episode 7: Semi-final (8 February)
Group Number: "Don't Get Me Wrong" by The Pretenders| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Hedgehog | "Chandelier" by Sia | SAFE | |
| 2 | Octopus | "Somewhere" by Barbra Streisand | SAFE | |
| 3 | Fox | "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler | Denise van Outen | OUT |
| 4 | Queen Bee | "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston | SAFE | |
| 5 | Monster | "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club | SAFE |
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Hedgehog | "My Way" by Frank Sinatra | SAFE | |
| 2 | Octopus | "Vogue" by Madonna | SAFE | |
| 3 | Queen Bee | "Work It Out" by Beyoncé | SAFE | |
| 4 | Monster | "Careless Whisper" by George Michael | CeeLo Green | OUT |
Episode 8: Final (15 February)
Group Number: "The Greatest Show" from The Greatest Showman| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Queen Bee | "Somebody Else's Guy" by Jocelyn Brown | SAFE | |
| 2 | Hedgehog | "Cry Me a River" by Ella Fitzgerald | SAFE | |
| 3 | Octopus | "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins | Katherine Jenkins | THIRD PLACE |
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Queen Bee | "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi | Nicola Roberts | WINNER |
| 2 | Hedgehog | "Black Magic" by Little Mix | Jason Manford | RUNNER-UP |
ITV2 one-off special
On 26 April 2020, Dommett invited panelists 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 the Coronavirus recession in effect and residents of the United Kingdom under lockdown, Dommett had to conference call the panelists 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'.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.
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
| 1 | Teddy Bear | "Sex Bomb" by Tom Jones | Ore Oduba | RUNNER-UP |
| 2 | Smiley Face | "Sweat " by Inner Circle | James Argent | THIRD PLACE |
| 3 | Robot | "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears | Chesney Hawkes | WINNER |
Ratings
Official ratings are taken from BARB, utilising the four-screen dashboard which includes viewers who watched the programme on laptops, smartphones, and tablets within 7 days of the original broadcast.| Episode | Date | Official rating | ITV weekly rank |
| 1 | 6.73 | 5 | |
| 2 | 5.50 | 15 | |
| 3 | 6.38 | 13 | |
| 4 | 6.10 | 15 | |
| 5 | 6.18 | 15 | |
| 6 | 5.68 | 15 | |
| 7 | 6.43 | 9 | |
| 8 | 7.57 | 2 | |
| Series average | 2020 | 6.32 |