It’s time to put your detective hats on: The Masked Singer UK is back with a whole new cast of characters.
The ITV contest calls on audience members – along with judges/super sleuths Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan – to guess which singing celebrities are behind the elaborate costumes.
Whoever triumphs will join previous winners including Joss Stone, Nicola Roberts, Charlie Simpson and Natalie Imbruglia.
After the series launched on 30 December, fans were introduced to six out of 12 contestants, with a further six set to be unveiled tonight (Saturday 6 January).
This includes Chicken Caesar, a rooster dressed in the style of a Roman emperor, who is ready to take it to the maximus.
In Chicken’s dramatic video, he spoke with a Geordie accent as he asked: “Lend me your ears, man. I am a salad of great ambition. I haven’t been cooked up, far from it. I am a great Roman explorer. And no way to I lead a poultry life.”
A shadow behind Chicken Caesar in the shape of a Brit Award could be seen behind him, while the numbers “1966” were written in Roman numerals.
A letter also said: “Water flowers, don’t kill them.”
Chicken Caesar sang “Under the Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Chicken Caesar on The Masked Singer— (ITV)
Ross thought the Geordie accent was a strong clue, along with the Flowers, and thought it could be stand-up comedian Chris Ramsey.
Gilligan admitted that he was struggling but noted the Brit Award shadow, and wondered if it was England footballing legend Geoff Hurst.
Ora thought the 1966 clue meant it could be footballer Alan Shearer, while McCall was doubtful about the Geordie accent, and thought it was more likely to be someone like Robbie Williams.
Chicken Caesar’s clue was: “My previous history has been quite gritty, apart from a visit from my friend in the city.”
Other masked celebrities taking part in the new series include Cricket, Bigfoot, Dippy Egg, Rat, Air Fryer and Maypole.
Air Fryer on The Masked Singer— (ITV)
Legendary singer Dionne Warwick was sensationally revealed as Weather in the first episode, with viewers accusing ITV of “fixing” the series.
On social media, many audience members speculated that Warwick had agreed to make a single appearance on condition of starring in the UK show.
She previously appeared on The Masked Singer US in 2020 as Mouse, where she also went out after one episode.
After being unmasked on the US show, Warwick said: “It’s kind of hard to disguise my voice, unfortunately, in this case, and they recognised my voice, there’s nothing I can do about that.”
Last week, Gilligan guessed that Cricket could be Jamaican musician and TV personality Levi Roots, while McCall thought that Cricket was pretending to be older, and guessed it might be Repair Shop presenter Jay Blades.
Meanwhile, guest judge Charlie Simpson guessed that Maypole was tennis star Emma Radacanu, after she declared that she’d “skipped around the court” and: “I know my net worth.”
Simpson was crowned as the winner of The Masked Singer UK last year, after performing as Rhino. The Busted star beat fellow pop frontman, Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson, who was disguised as Phoenix.
The Masked Singer airs on ITV on Saturday nights, with the final expected to take place in February.
