The key to the success of ITV's The Masked Singer is keeping the contestants' identities a secret - but how is it done?
A new series of the ITV show kicked off on New Year's Day, with fans eagerly trying to guess the identities of characters including Jacket Potato, Otter and Piece of Cake. A celebrity panel including Davina McCall, Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan make their guesses about who is under the masks each week, with the TV programme hosted once again by Joel Dommett.
So far we have seen Ghost unmasked as Chris Kamara. Next to be out of the game was Piece of Cake, who turned out to be Lulu.
READ MORE: ITV The Masked Singer's Davina McCall proves she's ageless with 'sensational' new look
Identities of the contestants are kept secret from all until the very last minute when the "take it off" chants result in another celebrity being unmasked. Here are some of the ingenious ways that The Masked Singer UK manages to successfully keep its secrets while filming the season.
Audience rules
Audience members need to abide by certain rules to ensure that no show secrets are spilled. Before even entering the studio, all audience members must hand in their phones and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
And, while the best part of The Masked Singer is ultimately the moment where the audience chant “Take it off!” as the mystery celeb is finally unmasked – the live studio audience isn’t actually there for the crucial moment.
Host Joel Dommett revealed the secret on Sunday Brunch, as he said: "We record the whole show and then they get to the bit where they go 'take it off, take it off', they go to take off the mask and that's the point where, I don't know if I'm allowed to announce this, we then get rid of the audience so they can then keep it a secret."
The audience are also not allowed to discuss the guesses that the celebrity panel makes, or any rumours they hear in the studio about the character's identities once they leave the building.
Limited people in the know
Television shows have literally hundreds of people working on them, and The Masked Singer is no exception. But if every single person on the show knew who was under the masks then it would be very likely that someone could spill the beans and ruin the fun for all.
In order to keep the identities of the celebs beneath the costumes a secret until the last minute, show makers make sure less than a handful of people know who is taking part in the show.
Host Joel Dommett told a virtual press conference in 2020: “I think there’s six people in the production staff who know, out of a production team of probably 250 people. That’s two producers, a clues team person, a make-up person and a costume person and that’s basically it.”
Contestant rules
Even the contestants taking part in the show have no clue who they are going up against in the competition - they find out at the same time the rest of us do.
There are several rules that they have to follow to keep the secrets of the show. The contestants wear a big black hoodie saying “Don’t Speak To Me” and a visor to hide their faces when they are backstage and not in costume. They also have to wear a balaclava and gloves too, to ensure every part of their body is hidden.
The singers are even told to bring all their belongings in plain black bags, to avoid revealing any clues about themselves. Show judge Mo Gilligan revealed: "You don't see. You see that show, when you watch it on the show, the T shirts 'Don't talk to me' – that's real.
"The set is huge. I got in the car, the driver was instructed he can’t talk to me. I cannot talk to you, I'm not allowed. There's a gate. There's another gate with huge security guards. This happened every single day."
As well as secrecy around the set, the celebs taking part in the show sign strict contracts before appearing on the show that forces them to promise not to reveal their involvement – even to their nearest and dearest.
Presumably the clause amounts to an NDA – which could lead to financial consequences if they break the golden rule. Show bosses previously revealed: "It was written into their contracts that they couldn’t tell anyone, even their families, what was going on. In the end they were as worried about their secret getting out as we were."
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