Bye bye X Factor. Farewell The Voice. We have a new Saturday night singing show to get completely obsessed with. But this one is a little different. The Masked Singer has a rather weird gimmick that's already got people talking. It's either going to be way too weird to catch on, or become the best programme of all time.
What is it?
The Masked Singer pits 12 celebrities against each other in a singing competition. But they perform dressed in elaborate costumes – think Unicorns, giant furry monsters and trees. The celebrity judges offer critiques, while attempting to guess the identity of the singers. They remain in disguise backstage and throughout all pre- and post-performance interview segments, with voice-disguising technology hiding the sound of their speaking voices. The singing is all them, though.
The public does not vote as the performances have already taken place. Members of the live audience were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Where did it come from?
The Masked Singer all started in South Korea, where it was called King of Mask Singer, before being picked up in America.
Who are the celebrities participating?
We don't know. That's sort of the point. We'll find out their identities each time they are eliminated. But expect a wide range of individuals from different walks of life. Participants on the US series include Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne, Seal, Rumer Willis and Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams. But not everyone has singing experience: athletes, comedians and TV presenters have also participated.
Now, we know the identities of two celebrities. EastEnders star Patsy Palmer and former Labour MP Alan Johnson have both left the competition.
What are their characters?
The celebrities will be dressed as one of twelve insane characters: Queen Bee, Duck, Unicorn, Butterfly, Chameleon, Pharoah, Tree, Fox, Monster, Daisy, Octopus and Hedgehog.
Who is on the judging panel?
The panel is made up of singer Rita Ora, TV presenters Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross, and The Hangover actor Ken Jeong. Apparently, some of the panel felt a little sheepish when certain celebrities revealed their identities, as they had failed to identify the vocals of close, personal friends.
'It's a great idea for a show, although when you see it written down on paper you wouldn't necessarily say it's going to work', says Jonathan.
Who is the host?
Comedian Joel Dommett does the honours.
When is it on?
The Masked Singer airs on ITV on Saturday, 4 January at 7pm. You can catch up on ITV Hub if you miss it.
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