The Masked Singer is the smash ITV singing series which has taken Britain by storm.
Making its UK debut in 2020, the fun show sees a number of celebrity contestants belt out karaoke classics while dressed in disguise.
It’s then up to the judges – Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Mo Gilligan – and viewers at home to guess who the masked celebrity is via the use of clues from host Joel Dommett and audio aids.
So, what are the best and worst judge guesses in The Masked Singer’s brief if entertaining history?
Daily Star has conducted a deep dive to try and find out.
WORST – Natalie Cole as Daisy
(Image: Sunday Mirror)
The hands-down worst The Masked Singer guess of all-time was uttered by Jonathan Ross.
The judge, 61, made a grave error during the 2020 series when he tried to work out the identity of Masked Singer contestant Daisy.
Jonathan incorrectly guessed that the celebrity in disguise was Natalie Cole, the daughter of legendary jazz musician Nat King Cole.
He didn’t realise that Natalie had in fact died in 2015 at the age of 65 after suffering congestive heart failure.
(Image: ITV)
The incorrect guess saw The Masked Singer criticised by fans online, with ITV receiving a fair amount of backlash for allowing the scene (the show is pre-recorded) to air.
One viewer wrote at the time: “I’d certainly be choosing people who are alive. Natalie Cole?!?! How did you let that be broadcast?”
Another commented: “So disrespectful of @itvstudios to put Natalie Cole photo up too #TheMaskedSingeruk SMH.”
The Masked Singer’s Daisy character was later revealed to be Girls Aloud star, Nicola Roberts.
She ended up winning the show.
WORST – Ellen DeGeneres as Lion Fish
(Image: Getty Images)
On the current run of the show, it was Rita Ora who was left red-faced by her terrible guess.
The Hot Right Now singer, 31, raised eyebrows when she was asked for her opinion on which celeb could be behind the Lion Fish disguise, basing her guess on the mask that was worn.
She opted for famous chat show host and Finding Nemo voice actor, Ellen DeGeneres.
Speaking to Lion Fish following her performance on the premiere episode, Rita said: “I think you could be a woman.
(Image: ITV)
“Those lips are a bit frowny, a bit like one of my favourite movies, Finding Nemo and Dory. And who plays Dory? Ellen DeGeneres.”
Rita’s guess of Ellen was welcomed by silence in the studio, as the audience and other members of the judging panel looked on.
Following her answer, Joel Dommett said: “Never before has an audience gone, ‘no’.”
Awkward.
BEST – Sophie Ellis-Bextor as Alien
(Image: ITV)
Sophie-Ellis Bextor shockingly became the first celebrity to be unmasked in last year’s series of The Masked Singer.
The Murder on the Dancefloor songstress, 42, was rumbled by three out of four judges after her debut performance in which she sang Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now.
The scenes, however, weren’t broadcast by ITV, with Sophie making the reveal after her unmasking had already aired.
(Image: ITV)
She said: “They didn’t put it in the edit but actually three of the judges said my name as well on the day.
“So I already knew I’d been rumbled very quickly.”
She later added: “I suppose it’s a compliment, the fact that as soon as I opened my mouth, even just as the Alien, my one-year-old, I literally don’t know how he did this, pointed at the telly and said ‘mummy’.”
BEST – Gloria Hunniford as Snow Leopard
(Image: ITV)
Gloria Hunniford’s run on The Masked Singer earlier this year was short-lived when she was quickly rumbled by Jonathan Ross.
The Loose Women panellist became the second celebrity to leave the series after Jonathan correctly guessed she was lurking behind the Snow Leopard mask.
After Snow Leopard performed Shirley Bassey’s Big Spender, Jonathan said: “Maybe someone who interviewed the stars – Gloria Hunniford.”
He was of course, right, with Gloria unmasked later in the episode.
(Image: ITV)
After being unmasked, Gloria wore her Snow Leopard disguise in a subsequent Loose Women appearance.
She also later revealed that there were initially concerns her mask would slip off during her performance.
Gloria told Radio Times: “In the dress rehearsal, my mask wasn’t on tight enough and at one point, I threw my head back to sing a very high note and the mask slipped back.
“All I got was a mouthful of fur because the whole collar slipped up into my mouth.
“So I was thinking, ‘Thank God I didn’t do that on the live programme!'”
The Masked Singer airs on ITV.
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
