The latest instalment of The Masked Singer had audiences gripped as a revealing new clue led many to believe they have finally cracked the identity of one contestant.
During the superhero-themed episode that aired last night (January 18), the panel made up of Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Jonathan Ross were joined by guest judge, Olympian Tom Daley. The judges were dressed as comic book heroes as they made their predictions about the identities of the masked performers.
This week, viewers watched Tattoo, Snail, Kingfisher, Teeth, and Dressed Crab take to the stage. Despite their concealed identities, sharp-eared viewers latched onto an element in Snail’s voice that suggested it might be a member of Girls Aloud, reports the Express.
On Twitter, a savvy viewer speculated: “Sounds like there’s a Irish twang… going with Nadine Coyle,” as another posted: “#Maskedsinger snail definitely sounded Irish!”
Someone else pondered: “Snail = Nadine Coyle disguising her tone? Dreams that glitter. Can’t speak French.” One enthusiast was sure about the link to the girl group, asserting: “Snail is definitely a member of Girls Aloud! #TheMaskedSinger.” Meanwhile, another added: “I like the Nadine Coyle guess, deffo disguising her voice though.”
As the show unfolded, Snail scattered sufficient clues to whip up a frenzy of speculation both in the studio and at home. One of the clues was: “I’ve been schooled in the best way,” which led Olympic star Tom to guess: “Girls Aloud, didn’t they perform in St Trinians?”
Davina picked up on the clue that the contestant was holding a cross-stitch with ‘Je t’aime’ on it, leading Tom to suggest they might be “French speaking,” or “lives in France.”
This clue set fans abuzz, with many thinking it pointed to Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud, who is known for the hit song Can’t Speak French from 2007. The speculation continued with viewers and panel members like Jonathan throwing out names such as Leona Lewis, Darcey Bussell, Paris Hilton, and Amanda Seyfried.
So far, the show has seen celebrities like Spag Bol, unveiled as Good Britain presenter Kata Garraway; Pegasus, who turned out to be Great British Bake Off’s Prue Leith; Toad in the Hole identified as Macy Gray and most recently Tattoo, who was singer Carol Decker.
The Masked Singer airs Saturday nights on ITV1 from 7pm