Brash, bright and utterly bizarre, it is surely the most unlikely TV hit. With singing from a steampunk hedgehog, futuristic chameleon, giant duck — and our former Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, as a pharaoh — The Masked Singer is turning the terminally tired TV talent show format on its head and giving it a new lease of life.
Starting last weekend over two nights, the programme — which was born in South Korea in 2015 before becoming a roaring success in the U.S. and Australia — raked in 6.5 million viewers for ITV, twice the number who tuned in for The Greatest Dancer on BBC1 and almost three times the audience of the recent celebrity version of The X Factor.
Not everyone is a fan, of course. One critic complained that it was ‘as disturbing as finding a clown in your freezer’.
The Masked Singer is turning the terminally tired TV talent show format on its head and giving it a new lease of life. It features a steampunk hedgehog, futuristic chameleon and giant duck
But sustained by a national guessing game after the first episode about who the disguised contestants might be, it seems many viewers feel rather differently.
As one fan wrote on Twitter: ‘The Masked Singer might be the absolute worst and trashiest piece of TV ever made, and if you think I’m going to waste an hour-and-a-half of my life to find out which B-lister is under the Monster’s mask then you’re absolutely right.’
But how did its creators translate the wackiness into success? And how does the show keep the celebrity identities secret? ALISON BOSHOFF finds out.
NEW PERSONAS, CRYPTIC HINTS AND DISTORTED VOICES …
In the show, 12 celebrity contestants, each fully masked and in elaborate costumes, appears in a short film and drop hints, in a disguised voice, about who they are.
For example, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson said that, in his old job, he would ‘see the Queen every day’ — a reference to his first career as a postman and the stamps he would see on letters.
The celebrity then sings and dances in front of a studio audience and a celebrity judging panel — comprising Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora, Davina McCall and American comedian Ken Jeong — who then try to guess who the person might be.
The mystery celebrity sings and dances in front of a panel comprising Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora, Davina McCall and American comedian Ken Jeong
Meanwhile, the audience uses keypads to select the bottom three singers in each episode, and, of those, the judges select the one they feel delivered the least impressive performance.
That celebrity is then unmasked — EastEnders actress Patsy Palmer (she was dressed as a butterfly) was booted off on Saturday and Johnson on Sunday — as the crowd chants: ‘Take it off’ and they sing, unmasked, one last time.
There are eight episodes in all.
A BIZARRE MIX OF CELEBRITIES
Dan Nettleton, co-founder of programme-maker Bandicoot, says: ‘The contestants firstly need to be instantly recognisable when they take off the masks. After that, we wanted a mix of people. We wanted some people who sing for a living and some who just give it a go. There are some international stars in the mix, too.’
Some viewers have been left baffled by the talent, including MP Alan Johnson (pictured). Dan Nettleton, co-founder of programme-maker Bandicoot, said the contestants ‘need to be instantly recognisable when they take off the masks’
His colleague, Derek McClean, adds: ‘We were determined to get a politician. I was asking the team: “Is there a Westminster choir? Who can we get?”
‘To get the former Home Secretary was a big scoop.’
WHO’S THE FOX THAT COLLECTS TEAPOTS?
Social media has been awash with speculation about who the remaining contestants are — forcing several celebrities to deny taking part, including footballer Peter Crouch, who tweeted: ‘I can confirm I am not a singing tree.’
However, Tree clearly is a footballer, with clues dropped about scoring and being ‘pitch perfect’. Tree also said that they would have to ‘grin and bear it’. Could this be a hint that they are footballer Teddy Sheringham — Teddy bear, geddit?
Many are also convinced that Unicorn is singer and actor John Barrowman — who didn’t deny it when asked. And former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts managed only a fairly threadbare denial that she was Daisy when quizzed on Heart radio this week. Some think Monster could be singer CeeLo Green or grime star Big Narstie. Queen Bee said they were famous when they were young, with many suggesting they are Charlotte Church or Nicola Roberts from Girls Aloud.
Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts managed only a fairly threadbare denial that she was Daisy in the Masked Singer
Some believe that Fox, who admits they collect teapots, must be presenter Denise van Outen, while Chameleon could be DJ and actor Reggie Yates. There’s further speculation that Duck is former athlete Denise Lewis and that Octopus, who likes the catwalk and weight training, is ex-Corrie actress Catherine Tyldesley.
Meanwhile, Michael McIntyre has not denied being Hedgehog.
THE KEY TO JUDGING: MAKE WILD GUESSES
A relative stranger to British prime-time TV, American judge Ken Jeong is best-known for his performance in the box office hit The Hangover and its sequels. Yet that could soon change, as the former medical doctor, who also judged the U.S. version, has won over audiences by saying his catchphrase: ‘I know exactly who this is’ before making completely wild guesses, which have included Tony Blair, Joanna Lumley and Angela Lansbury.
THEY COULD TEACH MI5 A THING OR TWO
Keeping the contestants’ identities secret — not least from each other — is crucial.
When backstage and not in costume, they wear balaclavas, visors and hooded anoraks with the words: ‘Don’t speak to me’ printed across the front.
After his exit, Alan Johnson told the Mail: ‘MI5 could learn a few lessons on how to keep things under wraps.’
The series was filmed last year and audience members signed non-disclosure agreements.
crazy COSTUMES COSTING THOUSANDS
Brighton-based firm Plunge Creations, which made the latex, Spitting Image-style heads for ITV show Bigheads, spent a year putting together the elaborate and flamboyant costumes for The Masked Singer. The budget for each runs into thousands of pounds.
… ALL PART OF ITV’S £10 MILLION BILL
As for the series itself, the eight-episode run is said to cost almost £10 million. (Buying the format from the South Korean broadcaster may have cost around £2 million.)
Former ITV Entertainment boss Shu Greene says: ‘It is an expensive show, but if you want to be in the game on a Saturday night, then you have to spend money.
There’s further speculation that Duck (pictured) is former athlete Denise Lewis
‘You can see the money on the screen — the studio, the costumes, the lighting, the audience, the way it is shot. I didn’t want it to seem half-hearted.’
Fortunately for its creators, revenue from advertising is likely to be stellar. And the show has a sponsor, Royal Caribbean cruises, which is likely to bring in a seven-figure sum.
The Masked Singer is also running in Australia, Bulgaria, Holland, Australia, Germany and, of course, South Korea.
THE ORIGINAL WITH NO RAZZMATAZZ
The original version of the show, The King Of Mask Singer, piloted in South Korea on the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation network (MBC) in February 2015.
It was an instant hit, returning for a series that spring. There have been more than 200 episodes since then, and the show has won numerous awards.
The programme raked in 6.5 million viewers for ITV, twice the number who tuned in for The Greatest Dancer on BBC1
The King Of Mask Singer is far simpler than the UK version, with no back-up dancers or razzmatazz, and singers wearing fairly simple paper masks.
Some contestants return repeatedly, with one, Ha Hyun Woo, winning the show nine times. Indeed, his success is said to have led to him singing at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018.
But the South Korean version’s most famous performer remains Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who appeared as Unicorn on the show in May 2018 to promote his film Deadpool 2.
He sang Tomorrow from the musical Annie and was greeted with screaming hysteria when the mask came off.
HOW A THAI DINNER TOOK IT TO America
U.S. reality TV producer Craig Plestis, whose credits include Deal Or No Deal (in which the then Meghan Markle was the ‘briefcase girl’) and America’s Got Talent, first discovered the show while eating in a Thai restaurant in Studio City, California, with his adult daughter in 2018.
‘I had my back to the TV set and my daughter said: “Look at what’s on the TV.” When I turned round, everyone in the restaurant was glued to it. The Thai version of the show had elaborate outfits and lighting and a kangaroo dressed in leather. I was mesmerised.
Could it be them? Viewers believe Michael McIntyre and Denise van Outen could be two of the performers on the ITV hit
‘I quickly [researched] the show’s premise and who owns it and called up my agent — literally right there in the restaurant — and said: “I want to get this. There’s magic here.” ’
He bought the rights for his firm, Smart Dog Media, and then sold it to U.S. broadcaster Fox.
The series was launched in January 2019 and was a hit, with more than 11 million viewers. Celebrities who have competed so far include singer Joey Fatone, of NSync, Donny Osmond and Gladys Knight, plus reality TV stars Tori Spelling and Kelly Osbourne.
Plestis said that after Ryan Reynolds appeared on the Korean version — and the footage became a YouTube hit — it became easier to attract the names he wanted.
The U.S. version returns for a third series next month.
…AND 2AM CALLS BROUGHT IT TO UK
Derek McLean, of small Scottish independent TV company Bandicoot, is the man who brought the format to the UK.
He told the Mail this week: ‘I knew it was a bit like a panel show in tone and that the guessing game element was really important, which appealed to me as I launched Would I Lie To You? and had been involved in 8 Out Of 10 Cats.’
After finding out which broadcaster had the rights, McLean set his alarm at 2am every morning to call the Korean company.
‘I tried to get through to anyone who spoke English from their switchboard, which was a completely automated system.
‘Eventually, I found someone very kind to help me who spoke English and pointed me towards the right person — but he was at a conference for two weeks. I insisted on getting him on his mobile and concluding the deal by email.
‘That was just two days before the show aired in the U.S. Soon after, I got a call from a rival producer, and it was just swear words, swear words, swear words.
‘We had secured the format that everyone wanted.’