Take it off….The Masked Singer is back!

It might not be the most amazing or witty catchphrase ever created, but it’s one that will be ringing in our ears every Saturday night for the next few weeks following the return of the most bonkers celebrity challenge TV has to offer.

Yes, we’re being treated to a new run of The Masked Singer, a show described by some as ‘Marmite telly’, because people either love it or loathe it. Luckily, millions more appear to fall in the former category than the latter.

Joel Dommett recently moved over to BBC One to host its own Saturday evening spectacular, Survivor, but it hasn’t been the ratings success its makers expected it to be. Luckily for him, he’s back on safer, more familiar ground as he returns to host the new run.

“It’s such a fun show to do, and honestly, I feel so privileged to be a part of it,” claims Dommett. “I feel like everyone feels that way. From the costume designers, to the panel, to me, to the camera operators, producers; I feel like everyone, on this show, loves their job.

“There’s something about it that everyone loves being a part of, like costume designers, they get to let their imaginations go absolutely wild. When I write a link to things, it’s so fun to write for. It’s so silly, and the panellists are having a great time. The cameramen, they’re playing the game. So, they’re all guessing at the same time. It’s more fun than your usual job.”

“The Masked Singer is four game shows rolled into one,” says comedian and actor Ken Jeong, who was instrumental (no pun intended) in bringing the South Korean format to western audiences. “It’s part Pop Idol, part The Voice, part Dancing With The Stars, and a little bit vintage What’s My Line. There is nothing else like it.”

He adds: “It’s an addictive show that you want to keep watching to figure out the clues, see amazing performances and ultimately find out who’s under the mask.”

Jeong was one of the original panellists when the British version began in 2020. But, due to Covid travel restrictions, he was replaced later that year by Mo Gilligan, who’s now a permanent fixture. Gillian will be back, attempting to guess ‘who’s behind the mask’ alongside Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora and Davina McCall, when the fifth run begins.

Reigning champion, Busted’s Charlie Simpson, also joins the panel for the first episode, while the 12 characters involved include Maypole, Cricket, Bigfoot, Dippy Egg, Weather and Rat.

But who will succeed Simpson as champion...? Obviously we have no real idea – after all, the names of the participants are one of the most closely guarded secrets in TV. Besides which, seeing as most of the fun comes from trying to guess who’s who, would you really want to know? Just content yourself with shouting “take it off!” at the screen instead.