The Masked Singer was back on ITV tonight (January 4), and it didn’t take long for the show to spring a big surprise, as Emperor Penguin was revealed to be comedian Matt Lucas.
In a first for the hit ITV series, bands took to the stage during the opening weekend. Saturday night’s (January 3) launch saw Goldfish perform alongside No Trout, who was later unmasked as pop star Anne-Marie.
Once her identity was confirmed, Anne-Marie joined the judging panel to help crack the remaining celebrity disguises. After five new contestants performed, Disc Jockey became the first act voted off and was revealed as The One Show presenter Alex Jones.
Emperor Penguin on The Masked Singer
Tonight’s spotlight fell on Emperor Penguin, who took to the stage with the Antarctic Funkeys. Kicking things off, they delivered a performance of Pinball Wizard by Elton John.
A string of clues hinted at a possible link to the BBC show Gladiators, which quickly pushed Davina McCall towards guessing Bradley Walsh.
After the remaining contestants had all performed, it was time for the panel to lock in their final guesses before the big reveal. Mo Gilligan suggested Peter Andre, while Maya Jama went with boxer Conor Benn. Jonathan Ross opted for Sir Trevor McDonald, and Davina stuck firmly with her Bradley Walsh theory.
The mask then came off and, in a twist few saw coming, Emperor Penguin was revealed to be Little Britain star Matt Lucas.
‘Why does Matt Lucas have the same singing voice as Robbie Williams?’
Viewers at home were left stunned by the reveal, with many taking to X to share their disbelief.
“My flabbers are ghasted,” one fan posted.
“I am in shock. Why does Matt Lucas have the same singing voice as Robbie Williams?” another wrote.
“Oh, Matt Lucas?! I thought Emperor Penguin was Bradley Walsh,” a third admitted.
“Who knew Matt Lucas could sing like Robbie Williams and Bradley Walsh?” added another viewer.
“I’m convinced Matt Lucas is one of them every year but didn’t guess this time!” a fifth joked.
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