ITV made a last-minute edit to the first episode of The Masked Singer on Saturday, cutting a performance by the character Red Panda due to concerns over potential insensitivity following a deadly fire in a Swiss nightclub that killed at least 40 people.
Red Panda's debut song was to be 'Disco Inferno' by The Trammps, performed with dancers in fire fighter costumes. The theme and lyrics were deemed inappropriate after the tragedy in Crans-Montana, where a fire broke out at Le Constellation in the early hours of Thursday. Over 40 people died and 119 were injured, many with severe burns.
An ITV spokesperson said: 'In light of the tragic events in Switzerland, we took the decision to remove Red Panda's performance on The Masked Singer owing to potential insensitivities within the theme and lyrics of the song. Viewers will get to see Red Panda perform in the coming weeks.'
Red Panda and the celebrity inside the costume will remain part of the show, performing a different song in next week's episode. The Masked Singer launched its seventh season on Saturday, featuring two new bands led by Goldfish and Emperor Penguin. Singer Anne-Marie was unmasked as Goldfish, and One Show host Alex Jones was revealed as Disk Jockey.
