Hidden Talents

Celebrity performers dress in disguise for a zany new singing contest

- Natasha Holt, Alison Slade, Victoria Wilson

When The Masked Singer debuted on American TV this time last year, the celebrity singing competition became an instant hit.

Now the show comes to ITV this week with a fun-filled format that sees celebrities singing live on stage, but disguised head to toe in crazy costumes and face masks that conceal their identities from other contestants, panelists, and the audience.

After each performance, the four panelists will try to guess who is under the mask – with clues from the performer – before a public vote determines the least popular contestants, with the four celebrity pundits deciding which of them will be eliminated. Only then will the singer be unmasked…

Comedian Joel Dommett hosts the show, with an all-star panel, made up of Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, and US comedian and actor Ken Jeong, who also appears as a panelist on the US version.

In the States, the show has attracted plenty of big names, including Ricki Lake and Rumer Willis, plus professional singers such as Gladys Knight and Donny Osmond, so expect some major surprises over the weeks ahead…

Here, Ross, 59, and Ora, 29, tell us more about the show...