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The latest series of The Masked Singer kicked off with an early shock as the first celebrity was unmasked during Saturday night’s return.
The ITV favourite welcomed a brand new line-up of stars hidden beneath eye-catching costumes, all hoping to keep their identities a secret while taking on chart hits.
But one contestant’s journey was short-lived, as Disc Jockey landed in the bottom two following a performance of Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan.
Facing off against Gargoyle, Disc Jockey ultimately lost the judges’ vote, forcing the mystery star to reveal themselves far earlier than expected.
Before the mask came off, the panel squeezed in their final guesses.
Mo Gilligan suspected radio icon Annie Mac, while Davina McCall floated footballer Jill Scott.
The latest series of The Masked Singer kicked off with an early shock as the first celebrity was unmasked during Saturday night’s return
Although not present for the performance, guest judge Anne-Marie joked it might be ‘that bird on the cake show’ – Mary Berry.
Jonathan Ross was convinced the voice belonged to Sara Cox, while Maya Jama backed Bonnie Tyler. None of the guesses hit the mark.
The reveal confirmed Alex Jones as the celebrity behind the decks, prompting cheers from the audience.
Clearly relieved, the One Show presenter spoke to host Joel Dommett moments after removing her mask, saying: ‘I have had a lot of fun. We love this programme, as a family, and I just thought, it would be a lot of fun and that to do it for my children would be wonderful. And it’s the most bizarre experience of my life! Thank you.’
Alex, 48, added: ‘Teddy, Kit and Annie, this was for you. I hope that you’ve loved it.’
Following her exit, the TV star explained that stepping outside her comfort zone had been a deliberate choice.
She said she wanted her children to see that fear shouldn’t stop them from trying new things, even if the outcome isn’t perfect.
As she put it: ‘I want them to know that overcoming fear is a good thing. I am not a singer but I gave it a go, and I think that’s the take home for them.’
The ITV favourite welcomed a brand-new line-up of stars hidden beneath eye-catching costumes, all hoping to keep their identities secret while taking on chart hits
But one contestant’s journey was short-lived, as Disc Jockey landed in the bottom two following her performance and was later revealed as Alex Jones from The One Show
The presenter spoke to host Joel Dommett moments after removing her mask, saying: ‘I have had a lot of fun. We love this programme, as a family’
Following her exit, the TV star explained that although terrified, she wanted her children to see that fear shouldn’t stop them from trying new things
She joked her kids would probably cringe in years to come, adding: ‘They’ll think, ‘God, our mother, do you remember when she dressed as a disc jockey and she sang on national television without any sort of voice?’
Alex bowed out with an unmasked encore of Pink Pony Club, earning a standing ovation from the studio crowd.
Meanwhile, competition remains fierce for those still in the running, including Gargoyle, Red Panda, Can of Worms, Moth, and Sloth. Sunday night will introduce another wave of performers with Monkey Business, Teabag, Toastie, Yak, Arctic Fox, and Conkers all making their debuts.
The opening episode of the seventh series also featured a major twist when Anne-Marie was unveiled as Goldfish, marking the first time a celebrity had competed as part of a live band, No Trout.
After performing the viral hit APT by Bruno Mars and Rose, the judges correctly identified the pop star.
Reflecting on the experience, Anne-Marie said: ‘When I was at school, I had a very short attention span! I’m used to the voice just going that way [in front of me] but in the thing, it was like “Oh, that’s what I sound like!”‘
She later treated the audience to a performance of her hit 2002, before joining the panel as the guest judge delighting fans at home.
Social media quickly lit up, with viewers writing: ‘Petition to get Anne Marie as a full time panellist on #TheMaskedSinger She absolutely loved it’,
The opening episode of the seventh series also featured a major twist when Anne-Marie was unveiled as Goldfish, marking the first time a celebrity had competed as part of a live band
After performing the viral hit APT by Bruno Mars and Rose, the judges correctly identified the pop star
Viewers were thrilled with her performance and guidance when on the panel with one fan jokng to start a petition to keep her on permanently
‘OMG I knew it was @annemarie! Would recognise her voice anywhere. One in a billion. #maskedsingeruk Reveal Anne-Marie and singing 2002’,
Previously, host Joel Dommett teased in a trailer: ‘This season, we’ve got the most unmaskings ever.’
To this end, there will reportedly be four unmaskings across the first two episodes.
Last series saw stage and screen actress Samantha Barks named the winner, having competed as ‘Pufferfish’.
She fought off stiff competition from ‘Dressed Crab’ (Gregory Porter) and ‘Wolf’ (Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow) to claim the victory.
Addressing everyone after her unveiling, Samantha said: ‘I’ve had the best time. Underneath the mask, I’ve been smiling so hard – it’s hurting my cheeks! It’s been amazing.’
The Masked Singer airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.