The Masked Singer UK spoilers follow.
The Masked Singer UK returned tonight with the premiere episode of its seventh season, though a last-minute alteration to ITV’s scheduling meant that one act was cut from the broadcast, resulting in a shorter transmission.
As host Joel Dommett introduced the panel of Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Jonathan Ross, along with guest judge Anne-Marie, the group was ready to have their eyes and ears treated to some colourful renditions of famous songs.
During the show, which is pre-recorded, they had six acts – Moth, Disc Jockey, Gargoyle, Sloth, Can of Worms, Red Panda – to listen to, though Red Panda was ultimately cut from the broadcast.
The decision was reached by ITV after the song which was performed on the night had “potential insensitivities” following the Crans-Montana bar fire in Switzerland, which tragically claimed the lives of 40 people.
“In light of the tragic events in Switzerland, we took the decision to remove Red Panda’s performance on The Masked Singer UK in tonight’s programme owing to potential insensitivities within the theme and lyrics of the song,” said an ITV spokesperson.
ITV
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The spokesperson, who shared the statement via The Irish Times, continued by explaining that viewers would be able to see Red Panda perform on the ITV series in “the coming weeks”.
While Red Panda advanced in the competition, it was Disc Jockey, who had sung Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’ earlier in the show, who was eventually eliminated from the series at the first attempt.
After a tantalising wait, it was confirmed that Alex Jones was the person underneath the mask, with The One Show presenter saying: “I’ve had such fun. I’ve never sung in my life – in fact, it was a bit of a phobia.
“When I was little, I always used to have a cold and they just chucked me out of the choir. From then on, I thought ‘that’s it, singing is not for me’. But I was convinced to do this because the kids love the programme so I thought, ‘okay let’s do it’.
ITV
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“It’s been a big thing to overcome. Having that experience of learning with the [vocal] coaches has been amazing so there has been a lot of good take away from it. That’s the thing with The Masked Singer, you are actually learning a new skill… I’ve loved giving it a go.”
Jones, who has presented The One Show since 2010, quipped that it could be a “career highlight” due to the fact that it had taken her out of her comfort zone, with the star adding that the experience was something she would “remember forever”.
The Masked Singer continues tomorrow night at 6.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. Â His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
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