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Entertainment
Lucy Buglass

The Masked Singer judge reveals behind the scenes secrets

Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Leona Lewis, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross (L-R) together for The Masked Singer UK Christmas Special 2023.

The Masked Singer UK's Mo Gilligan has opened up about what producers to do ensure the celebrity's identity stays a secret, for both the judges and the viewers at home.

Speaking to This Morning hosts Rylan and Emma Willis, Mo revealed some behind the scenes secrets about how the beloved competition series works, and how he and the other judges are kept in the dark.

He said: "I get the same feeling the people at home get - you don't know who is going to be on and who is going to be singing and at the end of the show, you get a reveal. We don't know who it is. People still think we know who it is. 

"I get taxi drivers, friends, family, who say you know who it is. I still don't know who is behind the mask."

He added: "It is so so secretive. We go in at different ends of the building. I think that's what people love about the show. People play at home, they get their notebooks. It's a fun show!" 

"That's the craziest thing of the show, you never know who it is going to be," he explained. "It could be someone you know or it could just be a legend you never thought you would get to meet."

"We don't know what they’re going to perform. You see the costumes, the dancers come out. We’re trying to get any clue we can get.

"It could be someone we’ve met briefly, so you think is it someone I've met before? Sometimes you get to meet someone you want to meet. It's tough. We’re so competitive we don't show it much."

Partridge (In a Pear Tree) won The Masked Singer UK's 2023 Christmas special. (Image credit: Bandicoot TV/ITV)

This year, TV chef Ainsley Harriott won the festive edition of The Masked Singer UK. He was under the Partridge (In A Pear Tree) costume and managed to wow the judges with his performance.

Other celebrities taking part were Carol Vorderman as Reindeer, Tony Robinson as Sprout, and Julian Clary as Decorations.

There's plenty more to look forward to, though, as The Masked Singer UK 2024 is on the way and some fun new costumes are taking to the stage including Piranha, Dippy Egg, and Chicken Caesar.

The Masked Singer UK airs on ITV1 and ITVX.

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