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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

The Masked Singer fans know "for sure" who Phoenix is as they think they've rumbled TV legend

Its the zany guessing game that has singing celebrities dressed up as various wacky and colourful characters as a star panel and fans at home try to work out their identities. This Saturday (January 28) we were treated to another performance from the Phoenix with eight masked stars remaining.

As viewers tried to work out who was disguised as the towering majestic bird, guesses included Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson and Coronation Street star Will Mellor. But many thought the mask belonged to former Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli.

They thought Phoenix's choice of song - Elton John's I'm Still Standing - was a big clue because Bruno famously appeared in the video for the 1983 hit. @corby_tun tweeted: "Bruno Tonioli for sure - he was a dancer in the video for this song, and the film Rocketman ends with this and you get a big screen ten foot leather clad Bruno in your face."

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And @JL52306692 remarked: "I'm very scared of the sheer amount of people who genuinely think Phoenix is Bruno. Are yall okay?"

Last week was officially announced as Britain’s Got Talent's new judge after weeks of speculation, replacing David Walliams. Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly welcomed him to the panel at the first audition taping with fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell.

Phoenix wowed with their vocal talents (ITV)

In a video shared by a fan, the audience gasped in excitement as the names of the judges were lowered from above the stage, as Ant said "here they come." Dec then announced: ‘Please give a huge London Palladium welcome to the four judges for this afternoon: They are Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli!’

An upbeat Bruno then appeared, punching the air and blowing kisses as he walked to the stage, wearing a sparkling red blazer. "Can we say a massive welcome to Bruno!" said Ant.

Bruno, who was replaced as a judge on Strictly by Anton Du Beke in 2021, picked up a microphone to say: "Thank you very much. I am thrilled to be here."

Bruno Tonioli (Getty Images)

He said about Amanda and Alesha: "Look at these girls, they’re stunning!", and he said it was an "honour" to "finally" work with Simon. "He’s teased me with this for years. Years and years and years, and tell you, honestly, I’m thrilled to be here." Bruno, encouraged by Alesha, then had a go at pressing his buzzer for the first time.

The long-running ITV talent show returns to our screens later this year for its 16th series. Comedian and author David's position on the BGT judging desk was "very much up in the air", after the Little Britain star apologised for making "disrespectful comments" about participants during breaks from filming for the show at the London Palladium in January 2020.

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