The Masked Singer set to return in days as new Christmas characters unveiled

17 December 2023 , 22:56

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ITV's The Masked Singer returns for Christmas special with a new festive line up (Image: ITV)

ITV will welcome back The Masked Singer in time for Christmas fun with The Masked Singer: Christmas Special and four new festive characters.

The series will see Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan return too as they try to decipher the clues and guess which vocalist is behind which festive costume. This year's festive special sees Christmas characters take to the stage to sing their hearts out, with viewers and the audience treated to hits from characters Decorations, Reindeer, Sprout and Partridge (In A Pear Tree).

This year's festive special, which airs on Christmas Day (25 December), will see ITV viewers and the audience try to guess which famous faces could be hiding beneath the festive costumes before a winner is crowned.

Reindeer is one of the new festive characters for the Christmas special (ITV)

Another festive addition is Partridge (In A Pear Tree) (ITV)

Speaking about their return, host Joel Dommett said: "It's really cool. I think it's certainly the best series, but I think definitely my best series just because of my child arriving. I feel like it's all so joyous and fun. I am viewing it all in an entirely different way. I think that's what happens when you have children anyway and the fact that kids in the audience love it so much, I think it puts that entirely into a new context for me and I just love being a part of it."

Singer Rita Ora added: "It's amazing to be back. I love being with everyone, we have so much fun together. It’s one of my favourite things to do, I love the panel, I love having this job and I love doing this show. I’ve come back with better detective skills, I’d like to think. We’ll see how good they are but I am very grateful and happy to be back. These guys are like family."

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Decorations will also have viewers and the audience guessing who the mystery celebrity could be (ITV)

Earlier this year Rita joined the US version of the show, yet she says the craziness is just as evident on the stateside programme but called it "completely different". She explained: "Oh my gosh, it's completely different. Of course the talent for me, I'm biased, because this is my home, it's fantastic. This show in general, the format is just so insane. So, wherever you go in the world, it's kind of the same energy, to be honest, because the show is just that crazy and the costumes are just as crazy as well."

The show recently won a BAFTA, which Joel explained is an important milestone for the show as he said: "People always took us seriously, but now people really have to take us seriously. We're a BAFTA winning show. It's just entertainment at its finest and, yes, it's silly, but maybe that's what entertainment should be. It's just silly, ridiculous telly that we can all really enjoy."

ITV's The Masked Singer won a BAFTA earlier this year (ITV)

Jonathan Ross who sits on the judging panel added: "We know the show is popular, because of course we know it gets big viewing figures, but I think maybe it just reflects the fact that people do love the big, silly spectacle of it all. The format is such a strong, such a strange and a unique one and I think that's what people are responding to. It's fun, silly, doesn't take itself seriously, it's beautifully made and always looks spectacular. There's some really good reveals every week. So I think it won the award because people are responding to the fact that it's a really different show and it's really lovely. So much work goes into making it as good as possible."

The Masked Singer: Christmas Special, Monday 25th December at 7.30pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.

Niamh Spence