An EastEnders actor may have just accidentally dropped a huge hint that he’s the celebrity underneath The Masked Singer’s Bear outfit during a live on-air interview.
ITV’s The Masked Singer sees stars adorned in elaborate costumes belt out tunes, with their vocal prowess the only giveaway about their identity. Six individuals have so far been unmasked on the latest series, with Mel Giedroyc as Teeth the most recent.
Series six has already unveiled a diverse line-up of unmasked celebrities, including Kate Garraway from Good Morning Britain as Spag Bol; Prue Leith from Bake Off as Pegasus; Carol Decker as Tattoo; Macy Gray as Toad in the Hole; and Mo Farah as Giant Joel.
With seven mystery contestants still competing – Wolf, Snail, Bush, Kingfisher, Bear, Dressed Crab, and Pufferfish – fans are furiously dissecting every clue and hint about their identities. Bear has been particularly buzzworthy, and show devotees might have just received their biggest tip-off.
During an ITV News segment, Richard Blackwood, known for his role on EastEnders, seemed to confirm whispers about him being behind Bear’s mask, reports the Mirror.
“Just quickly, before we finish, are you doing The Masked Singer? Because you’re getting loads of attention about it this week. Can you exclusively reveal it to us? ” the interviewer prodded.
“I could… because you made me feel so good and stuff,” he began, appearing rather flustered. “No, I can’t, I can’t. But the moves and the way I… I mean, that’s how I would do it.”
Fans on social media have long speculated that Richard could be Bear. One avid viewer tweeted: “Bear is deffo Richard Blackwood his middle name is Clifford #TheMaskedSinger”, while another post read: “Bear – Richard Blackwood #TheMaskedSinger.”
Beyond Richard, a number of fans are certain that the artist behind Bear is singer-songwriter Example, whose real name is Elliot John Gleave.
There’s also a strong suspicion that Anthony Head, the 70-year-old actor known for his role as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, could be the one singing beneath the Bear costume.
The Masked Singer continues tomorrow night at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX