The Masked Singer fans think they’ve cracked Conkers’ identity after huge new clues.
The series continued on Saturday night (January 10), with Conkers bouncing onto the stage to deliver an energetic rendition of House of Pain’s Jump Around.
But while the performance had the panel on their feet, it was the latest batch of cryptic clues that really sent viewers into meltdown – with many now convinced they’ve worked out exactly who’s hiding beneath the spiky mask.
The Masked Singer fans change their minds over Conkers’ identity
Conkers first appeared on opening weekend singing Myles Smith’s Nice To Meet You, with early clues prompting plenty of viewers to guess Olly Murs.
However, after Saturday’s performance and a fresh run of very cryptic hints, fans have dramatically changed their tune – and now believe Conkers could be Barney Walsh, son of TV favourite Bradley Walsh.
This week’s VT leaned heavily into medieval imagery, with repeated references to castles, knights and quests. Maya Jama even highlighted a direct nod to Sir Lancelot, one of King Arthur’s knights.
That immediately rang alarm bells for fans, as Barney starred as a teenage King Arthur in 2017 film King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
The ‘gauntlet’ clue sends fans into overdrive
One line in particular set social media alight, with Conkers declaring: “I’ve thrown down the gauntlet. It would be very embarrassing to back out now. I can’t be a knight who says ‘no, no’ to quests.”
Viewers were quick to point out that Barney co-hosts the BBC’s Gladiators reboot alongside dad Bradley – where one of the events is called The Gauntlet. He’s also known for “throwing down the gauntlet” to Bradley on their ITV series Breaking Dad.
Other clues only fuelled the theory further. Conkers teased that he’d “played many parts” but wasn’t looking for credit – something fans linked to Barney’s guest roles in Death in Paradise and Law & Order: UK.
During the sports day-themed episode, viewers were told injured contestants should report to “Mr Fairhead” in the first aid tent – a name immediately associated with Casualty, where Barney currently plays Cameron and where iconic character Charlie Fairhead featured for decades.
There were also references to keys (Barney plays the piano) and swimming – another eyebrow-raiser, given Barney competed in national school swimming finals as a teenager.
Viewers are convinced – but not everyone agrees
Fans quickly flooded social media with confident predictions.
“I had a brainwave – ‘Gauntlet’, Gladiators. ‘Mr Fairhead’, Casualty. Keys, piano. It has to be Barney Walsh,” one viewer wrote.
Another agreed: “He’s in Casualty, the clues all line up, and that’s exactly how I imagine him singing. Conkers is Barney Walsh.”
However, not everyone is sold. Some still believe Conkers could be Will Mellor, Olly Murs – or even Olympic legend Tom Daley, a guess Davina McCall continues to stand by.
For now, the panel haven’t officially named Barney – although Jonathan Ross did throw Bradley Walsh’s name into the mix this week, much to viewers’ amusement.
The Masked Singer continues on ITV1 on Saturday (January 17) at 7pm.
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