A new series of The Masked Singer UK will hit our TV screens on Boxing Day, and from the moment the contestants walk out on stage in their bizarre costumes it’ll have viewers trying to guess who is behind the mask.
For the judges however, there was one contestant this year whose voice they recognised instantly.
Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com, panellist Davina McCall revealed: “There was one costume – Im not going to say who it is – but all the way through we were just like: ‘We just recognise that voice so much!'”
She continued: “Some of these guys are great at singing but they’re not professional singers. We’ve never heard them sing before and yet they are amazing or you might hear the sound of a voice and you think, ‘I know this voice!’ It was so frustrating because it’d be on the tip of your tongue.”
Although the panel recognised a familiar voice, it didn’t make it much easier to work out who was behind the mask, with Jonathan Ross throwing out names many hadn’t heard of for years.
“Jonathan comes up with some mad names that literally no one has even said the name out of their lips since 1958,” Joel Dommett quipped.
While Davina and Jonathan had more extensive lists, new judge Mo Gilligan preferred to keep it simple jotting down just a few names in his notebook – something that gave Davina major “anxiety”.
She said: “I write down. I’m listening to a word. I’m thinking they faked that accent last week and I can hear a Northern twang. What I loved about this series is that all of us were wrong quite a lot. The level of messing with our heads that went on.”
Mo continued: “It’s so hard because there’s no wrong or right answer but the clue package to the performance don’t really match up, so you look at your clue package and you think, ‘Oh I think it’s that person!’ That’s what I found so hard because like Davina said, I’ve got one name and I’m very stubborn in that sense.”
Rita Ora on the other hand, brought a more “professional” side to the panel, Jonathan says. “She studies the breathing and the voices. She has those skills,” he explained.
Nevertheless, they were still left in the lurch with Jonathan hinting at major “surprises” along the way.
He continued: “Amazingly, and I think I can speak for everyone here, the people behind the costumes were even bigger and better than the first season and the first series I thought they did an amazing job. Bearing in mind the restrictions they had to work under they really excelled themselves. You will not believe some of the surprises that we have in store for you!”
So, which contestant was their favourite – Sausage, Grandfather Clock, Alien or was it someone else?
“Sausage was my favourite!” Mo gushed.
“It was a favourite of a lot of people and I don’t want to say why it was my favourite because I want everyone to be surprised, but you’re really going to fall in love with Sausage. So, if I needed an act to open up a show, it would be sausage.”
Last year, Rita found herself drawn to Chameleon who turned out to be musician Justin Hawkins.
Speaking of the season one contestant, Davina continued: “There wasn’t a man in the same way this year that was hot like Chameleon. Badger was like all man. For a while I was like, ‘Badger is a woman.’ So confusing this series because there were literally moments when I wondered if Sausage was a man or a woman and there were times where I couldn’t tell even regional accents from the UK.”
Jonathan added: “I thought Alien had some sexy moves and in terms of sophistication and glamour and more kind of sensuality… Swan!”
Sounds like viewers are in for a right treat.
The Masked Singer UK returns on Boxing Day. Looking for something to watch? Find out what is on with our TV Guide.
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/38lSnNr
