Fans of The Masked Singer are casting doubt on the authenticity of the ITV show, suspecting that producers may be steering the judges’ guesses. The fifth series kicked off on 5 January, with Joel Dommett at the helm once again.
Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan, and Jonathan Ross have returned to the judging panel, this time joined by new face Maya Jama, who has replaced Rita Ora. Mo Farah was a special guest judge in the latest instalment, witnessing performances from costumed contestants including Dressed Crab and King Fisher.
The episode showed the judges trying their best to figure out the celebrities behind the masks, but some fans are calling foul play, suggesting the judges’ suggestions maybe not entirely their own.
Eager viewers took to social media to share their thoughts. One fan stated: “The fact that the judges are pretending not to immediately know Kingfisher is Harry Hill, just proves they’re not allowed to make any real attempt at guessing who it is.”
Another commented: “Everything feels forced. I don’t get the point in judges picking who sings next. Are they just coming up with new ways to make the episode longer. I prefer series with Rita involved.”
Adding to the drama, the episode wrapped up on a cliffhanger as Spag Bol’s identity remained under wraps, despite being eliminated. Joel announced the big revelation is to come in next Sunday’s episode, reports the Mirror.
New judge Maya has certainly been impressing viewers at home with her debut on the panel, with the star garnering much praise on social media. One person took to X, saying: “Replacing Rita Ora with Maya Jama was a genius idea.”
Another chimed in with appreciation, saying: “Dear ITV, thank you for putting Maya Jama on the panel. Yours truly, from everyone.” Adding to the positive feedback, a third viewer said: “I love Maya,” and another viewer stated: “Replacing Rita Ora with Maya Jama was clearly already an amazing call.”
Maya herself expressed excitement about her new role, saying she is “thrilled” to have joined the show. In a statement shared on social media, the Love Island host reached out to her followers saying: “Thrilllled to be joining The Masked Singer family. Felt well official with my notepad, nervous being the newbie but this series is so much fun! and it starts TONIGHTTT at 7pm and tomorrow at 6:30pm. Get your detective skills out and tune in to watch on ITV and ITV.”
The Masked Singer continues on ITV1 on Sunday 12 January.