Originally released as a South Korean television series, the popularity of the show has seen many adaptations airing all over the world. In early 2020, The Masked Singer UK began with a second season airing the following year despite the challenges that the pandemic had on the production. It has now cemented itself as one of the best British reality TV series following in the wake of The X-Factor.
With season 3 airing from January 1st, 2022, audiences are eager to find out which celebrities are under the colorful and over-the-top costumes this time around, as some reveals in the first two seasons were wholly unexpected and highly surprising. Whether it was someone fans weren't expecting to sing so well or red-herring clues keeping the judges on their toes, the UK's version has seen some great reveals.
Daisy - Kelis Rogers
In the first four episodes of the first season, Daisy was able to deliver stellar performances of songs from artists such as The Weeknd and Natalie Cole. But when it came to the fifth episode, she lost to Duck (who turned out to be British songwriter Skin) and was finally unmasked as Kelis Rogers, an American singer best known for her hit song "Milkshake."
Having explored a host of music genres from Pop and RnB to Jazz and Soul throughout her music career over the past two decades, Kelis' appearance was guessed by some of her fans and one of the judges prior to her reveal. But for others, they were sure surprised when the American star, who is one of the Masked Singer contestants with the most Instagram followers, was unmasked on the show.
Blob - Lenny Henry
Much like Monster in season 1, Blob only had limited movement in their performance - only able to move their arms and turn on the spot. But that didn't mean that the character didn't attract fans as the series went along, with the humor shining out of the costume all the way through the show.
In the sixth episode of season 2 Lenny Henry - British comedian and co-founder of Comic Relief - was eliminated and revealed to be under the Blob costume all along. The reveal was unexpected because Henry is one of the many Masked Singer contestants fans didn't know could sing, and he proved himself to have a good voice and powerful stage presence even when encased in his restrictive costume. While he may not have won, his sense of fun was a great fit and he made Blob the star of the show for several weeks running.
Monster - CeeLo Green
Losing out on third place, the large and cute monster looked like a cast member from Monsters, Inc.. But underneath the larger-than-life character was the talent of American singer and rapper CeeLo Green.
After his unexpected reveal, the Grammy award-winning artist - responsible for hit songs like "Crazy" as part of his duo Gnarls Barkley and "Forget You" as a solo act - stated he joined the contest because he was "a fan of the show." Singing classic songs from artists like Elvis Presley and George Michael, Green certainly showed off his vocal range and performing skill to new fans, illustrating why he won so many Grammys in the first place.
Harlequin - Gabrielle
Just falling short of a place in the season 2 finale, Harlequin entertained and delighted everyone with her elegant movements and unique singing voice. However, despite the brilliant costume design and how the sets reflected always perfectly reflected this character, the time came to say goodbye to Harlequin and say hello to the person under the mask.
Harlequin was revealed to be a singer and songwriter Gabrielle. Famous for her songs "Out of Reach" and "Dreams," the reveal was unexpected as Gabrielle had recently taken a lengthy break from the industry, with her first album in eleven years released in 2018. Long-time fans were delighted to see her perform again. After her unmasking, Gabrielle said, "I'm a very nervous performer, and I thought this would bring me out of my comfort zone."
Queen Bee - Nicola Roberts
The winner of the first season on The Masked Singer UK, everyone expected Queen Bee to be a professional singer and the judges often guessed that she was a member of a popular girl band thanks to the clues littered throughout the show. From her debut in the costume, Queen Bee demonstrated that she had an incredible singing ability and a mesmerizing stage presence, but it was still a surprise when she was unmasked as former Girls Aloud star, Nicola Roberts.
Often overlooked in favor of her bandmates, particularly the most famous member of the group Cheryl Cole, Roberts proved that she was able to hold her own as a solo talent on the show, surprising many with her vocal ability. She deservedly won and showed the nation just what she could do.
Dragon - Sue Perkins
Much like Hedgehog in the first season, no one seemed to know exactly who was under the cute and wide-eyed look of Dragon. With a mixture of New York accent and British vocals, no one could quite pinpoint who the voice was under the jaws of this fire-breathing lizard.
When the time came for the big reveal, everyone at home and in the studio was shocked to see British comedian and presenter Sue Perkins under the mask. Best known as the former presenter of The Great British Baking Show and certainly not known as a singer, it was surprising to see this rambunctious personality perform tender ballads like "Make You Feel My Love." It's these surprises that have made the show so popular and who knows who audiences will see next.
Hedgehog - Jason Manford
The runner-up in season 1, Hedgehog had everyone guessing who the person could be under the steampunk attire of this mammal's mask. From guesses like singer Michael Ball, actor John Thompson, and comedian Eddie Izzard, only one judge was able able to get it right.
Despite the correct guess from Rita Ora, the reveal of Jason Manford surprised a lot of people. Not also was the British comedian up against famed singers throughout the competition, but he surprised a lot of people with his singing ability. To top it all off, he was able to disguise his Mancunian strong accent to keep everyone on their toes throughout.
Robin - Aston Merrygold
Robin was one of the most entertaining performers yet to be seen on The Masked Singer UK. Being able to sing flawlessly and entertain the crowd with hits like "Dance Monkey" and "Rockin' Robin," there was a good reason why he made it to the third spot in this singing competition.
Not also was the person under the mask revealed to be a talented professional singer, it was also someone who is no stranger to televised talent shows. Aston Merrygold is a part of JLS, a pop band that was runner-up on the fifth season on The X Factor UK. Much like Nicola Roberts, no one expected to see a band member go it alone and Aston was able to show off what he could do as a soloist.
Octopus - Katherine Jenkins
The Masked Singer has proved itself to be one of the best singing competition series currently on TV, and this is in no small part thanks to the variety of talent on display - from rock stars to pop idols to soul artists and even an operatic superstar. In season 1, it was a complete surprise to see the Welsh opera performer Katherine Jenkins under the mask of the Octopus.
Seeing her alter ego sing classic Disney songs and lyrics from iconic film soundtracks threw a lot of people off the trail, as the general public is used to only hearing her classical opera performances. She was also able to perform using a lot of accents and really bought the songs to life with a theatrical approach, all while showing off her impressive vocal range.
Viking - Morten Harket
Viking had one of the best costumes on The Masked Singer UK so far and looked like a character fans would find in an Asterix and Obelix comic book. He also surprised the judges multiple times with his choice of songs as well as the deep and emotional way he bought them to life on the stage.
Morten Harket was the person behind this mask and he is certainly no stranger to the world of music and performing, being the lead singer of A-ha, the Norwegian band responsible for the '80s hit "Take On Me." His reveal surprised many as no one could guess him with his choice of songs and his unique singing voice. He may not have won, but he certainly conquered the stage.