The seventh series of ITV's wildly popular guessing game, The Masked Singer, launched with a major surprise on Saturday night, as the first celebrity was sent home far earlier than anyone anticipated.
Disc Jockey's Short-Lived Performance
The brand-new line-up of stars, concealed within extravagant costumes, took to the stage hoping to keep their identities under wraps. However, the contestant known as Disc Jockey found themselves in the bottom two after performing Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club'.
Facing off against Gargoyle, Disc Jockey lost the panel's vote, forcing an early unmasking. Before the reveal, the judges made their final guesses. Mo Gilligan suggested radio presenter Annie Mac, while Davina McCall thought it might be footballer Jill Scott. Guest judge Anne-Marie, absent for the performance, joked it could be 'that bird on the cake show', Mary Berry. Jonathan Ross was convinced it was Sara Cox, and Maya Jama guessed Bonnie Tyler.
All were wrong. The mask came off to reveal Alex Jones, the beloved presenter of BBC One's The One Show.
Alex Jones's Emotional Exit and Message for Her Kids
A clearly relieved Alex Jones spoke to host Joel Dommett immediately after the reveal. "I have had a lot of fun," she said. "We love this programme, as a family, and I just thought it would be a lot of fun and that to do it for my children would be wonderful. And it's the most bizarre experience of my life!"
The 48-year-old dedicated her brief stint to her children, saying, "Teddy, Kit and Annie, this was for you. I hope that you've loved it." She explained that her reason for competing was to show her family that fear shouldn't prevent you from trying new things. "I want them to know that overcoming fear is a good thing. I am not a singer but I gave it a go, and I think that's the take home for them," Jones stated.
She joked that her kids would likely cringe in the future, but bowed out with an unmasked encore of her song, earning a standing ovation.
Anne-Marie's Double Duty as Goldfish and Judge
The opening episode featured another significant twist. The character Goldfish, who performed as part of a live band called No Trout—a first for the show—was unveiled as pop star Anne-Marie. The judges correctly identified her after her rendition of the viral hit 'APT' by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak.
Reflecting on the strange experience of hearing her own voice through the costume, Anne-Marie said, "I'm used to the voice just going that way [in front of me] but in the thing, it was like 'Oh, that's what I sound like!'" After her reveal, she performed her hit '2002' and then joined the panel as the guest judge, delighting viewers at home.
Fans on social media were thrilled, with one writing: "Petition to get Anne Marie as a full time panellist on #TheMaskedSinger."
The competition continues with the remaining costumes, including Gargoyle, Red Panda, and Can of Worms. The next episode will introduce six new characters: Monkey Business, Teabag, Toastie, Yak, Arctic Fox, and Conkers. Host Joel Dommett had previously teased that this season would feature "the most unmaskings ever," with reports suggesting four reveals across the first two episodes alone.
The Masked Singer airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.
