The Masked Singer in ‘fake’ row as viewers convinced bosses stepped in over judges’ guesses
THE Masked Singer has been caught up in a ‘fake’ row – with furious viewers convinced bosses influence the judges’ guesses.
Fans of the hit ITV show tuned in as the fifth series kicked off, with Joel Dommett returning as host.
Joining the judging panel this year is Love Island host Maya Jama, who replaces Rita Ora.
She sat alongside Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and special guest Mo Farah as a brand new batch of celebrities performed.
Dressed Crab, Spag Bol, Snail, Tattoo, Teeth and King Fisher all performed.
But as the panel attempted to guess who were under the masks, fans were left furious.
They accused The Masked Singer panel of ‘not being allowed’ to make their own guesses by bosses.
Posting on social media, one said: “The fact that the judges are pretending not to immediately know Kingfisher is Harry Hill, just proves they’re not allowed to make any real attempt at guessing who it is.”
A second wrote: “Everything feels forced. I don’t get the point in judges picking who sings next. Are they just coming up with new ways to make the episode longer. I prefer series with Rita involved.”
Meanwhile, the first episode ended on a massive cliffhanger just as Spag Bol was about to be unmasked.
They were eliminated after the panel chose to save Teeth.
But just as they revealed their identity host Joel told viewers they’d have to wait until Sunday night to learn who was under the mask.
The twist left fans at home furious as they took aim at ITV bosses.
The Masked Singer Judges and Host
The Masked Singer has been a smash-hit for ITV since launching in 2020. Here's a look at the show's familiar on air team.
Judges
Current:
- Jonathan Ross: Presenter and film critic Jonathan has been part of The Masked Singer since its first series.
- Davina McCall: Long Lost Family co-host Davina is also one of the show’s original panellists.
- Mo Gilligan: Comedian and presenter Mo joined in series two, replacing US star Ken Jeong.
- Maya Jama: Love Island presenter Maya is set to join in series six, replacing Rita Ora.
Former:
- Rita Ora: Singer and actress Rita appeared as a judge for the first five series. Her departure from the show was confirmed in September 2024.
Host
Joel Dommett: Joel has presented every series of The Masked Singer so far.