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18 January 2020, 20:23 | Updated: 23 December 2020, 11:08
The Masked Singer has taken America by storm, and it's now entertaining UK fans with its amazing twist on the TV talent show format.
Originally a South Korean show, The Masked Singer features celebrities singing in head-to-toe costumes and face masks, which hide their true identities from other contestants, the panelists, and even the audience.
Essentially, they all look like football mascots singing, but we have no idea who they are until they're eliminated.
As each episode passes, we'll look at the theories and clues behind each mask, including:
In episode 2, Tree teased that he is:
- A former footballer
- Likes to win
- Will have to 'grin and bear it'
Guesses from fans and judges include Peter Crouch, Chris Kamara and Alan Shearer.
However, Crouchy has ruled himself out, unless he's bluffing:
I can confirm I am not a singing tree
— Peter Crouch (@petercrouch) January 5, 2020
Rio Ferdinand has also said it's not him, and has suggested it could be Teddy Sheringham.
However, in episode 4, Tree was eliminated and revealed that he is, in fact:
Teddy Sheringham!
"I'm glad I've done it," said Teddy. "I've had sleepless nights trying to remember the words."
😮 Can you believe it was Teddy Sheringham?! (Sorry @petercrouch for all the tags the last few weeks) #MaskedSinger https://t.co/U5h6BvkuBN pic.twitter.com/tbOBFUuPeh
— STV (@WeAreSTV) January 18, 2020
The full list of Masked Singers are:
- Butterfly (revealed as Patsy Palmer in episode 1)
- Pharaoh (revealed as Alan Johnson in episode 2)
- Tree
- Octopus
- Fox
- Duck
- Hedgehog
- Unicorn
- Monster
- Daisy
The Masked Singer | Starts This January on ITV
12 celebrities compete on the show anonymously, all wearing costumes, over 10 episodes.
Each episode, some of the competitors are paired off into face-off competitions, where each will perform a song of their choice.
From each face-off, the panelists and live audience vote. The winner is safe for the week, while the loser is put up for elimination.
At the end of the episode, the losers of the face-offs are then put to the earlier votes of the panelists, to discover who will head home. The eliminated singer then takes off their mask to reveal their real identity.
Hints are also given to each masked singer's identity during the show. The panelists are given time to guess the identity of the singer after the performance, and ask them a single question.
In the US, the likes of Donny Osmond, Seal, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and LaToya Jackson have taken part.
Former I'm a Celebrity star Joel Dommett will host the UK version, which launches on ITV on Saturday, January 4 at 7pm. The second episode airs on Sunday, January 5 at 8pm.
The four judges will be: Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora, Davina McCall, and Ken Jeong from the US version.