ITV The Masked Singer fans are overwhelmingly convinced that Knitting is TV favourite as they ignore major detail

Fans of ITV's The Masked Singer were excited at the return of their favourite zany armchair detective show. The new year kicked off with cries of "take it off!" as the singing contest returned for a new series.

Celeb panellists Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan are back as the guessing game begins all over again with a new batch of 12 celebrities showcasing their singing skills beneath an elaborate costume.

Joel Dommett returned to his hosting duties as he introduced bizarre and unique characters to the stage. Last series saw singing superstar Natalie Imbruglia, masquerading as Panda, crowned the winner, footballing legend Michael Owen unmasked as Doughnuts and chart topper Charlotte Church revealed to be Mushroom.

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As each celebrity performs the star panel of detectives and viewers at home are left to decipher the clues and unlock TV’s best kept secrets. Only after being eliminated are the celebrities’ true identities revealed, as they are unmasked on stage.

In tonight’s New Year's Day episode, the cuddly character Knitting took to the stage as a ball of energy. It was picked up that Knitting had a Lancastrian accent, but it was ignored by many viewers who thought a famous TV presenter from Dagenham was beneath the wool.

Many viewers thought Stacey could be Knitting (ITV)

@mista_rikalus tweeted: "Knitting (singing) sounds like it could be @StaceySolomon." @fattymattysmith said: "That's Stacy Solomon." And @Mabel_Mouse_ wrote: "Knitting is Stacey Solomon."

@kathrynannxx agreed that it could be the Loose Women presenter : "Knitting = Stacey Solomon." And @mista_rikalus tweeted: "Knitting (singing) sounds like it could be @StaceySolomon." Other viewers thought it could be Claire Richards from the band Steps and some thought it could be former Gogglebox star Kate Bottley.

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