Sharp-eyed fans of ITV's The Masked Singer believe they have already identified one of the mystery celebrities set to compete in the upcoming series, with a series of clever clues seemingly giving away the identity of 'Goldfish'.
The Tell-Tale Clues That Sparked a Frenzy
The hit guessing game, where famous faces perform in elaborate disguises, returns to screens on Saturday 3 January. Ahead of the launch, the judging panel of Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Maya Jama received cryptic messages from the contestants.
Goldfish sent personalised clues to each judge. Davina McCall was asked, "How did it feel to be top of the Christmas tree?" while Jonathan Ross received: "They say goldfish have a three-second memory. We’ll be the Judge of that!" The most significant clue, however, was a mathematical equation sent to Mo Gilligan: "54x4x10-166+8=X".
Viewers quickly calculated that the answer to the sum is 2002. This number is the title of a massive 2018 pop hit by British singer Anne-Marie, a song that nostalgically references the musical era of Britney Spears and *NSYNC and has amassed nearly two billion streams on Spotify.
Why Fans Are Convinced It's Anne-Marie
The connection between the '2002' clue and Anne-Marie has sent speculation into overdrive. On forums like Reddit, fans are unanimous. One user stated, "I'm pretty sure it’s Anne-Marie, based on the sum, Xmas no.1 and the judging clue," while another agreed, "Me too that 2002 clue has just given it away."
The clue about being "top of the Christmas tree" is also seen as a direct nod to Anne-Marie's 2016 festive number-one single "Rockabye", a collaboration with Clean Bandit. Furthermore, the clue to Maya Jama about "swimming upstream" to become an "award-winning billionaire" could reference the singer's successful and determined career rise.
A New Series with a Twist
The seventh series introduces a new format twist, with celebrities fronting fictional bands. Goldfish leads a group called No Trout. A show source told The Sun: "The franchise’s first-ever bands are going to blow everyone’s minds – but viewers will be left scratching their heads as to whether the band is a big clue or not."
They added that the new elements are designed to keep audiences "more bamboozled than ever". The series will feature an intense schedule, with four unmaskings across the first two episodes. Goldfish and Emperor Penguin are additional contestants on top of the standard 12-person lineup.
The show was won last year by West End star Samantha Barks as Pufferfish. The new series promises more surprises, speculation, and spectacular reveals when it kicks off this weekend on ITV.
