Comedian Harry Hill has been revealed as the celebrity behind the Red Panda costume in the latest elimination round of The Masked Singer. The ITV competition, now in its seventh series, features stars performing in elaborate disguises while a panel of judges—Maya Jama, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, and Mo Gilligan—tries to identify them. With the final just around the corner, the pressure intensifies for the remaining contestants.
Red Panda’s Dramatic Exit
In the most recent episode, Red Panda delivered a lively rendition of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” captivating the audience. However, the performance was not enough to advance, leading to an unmasking just days before the semi-finals. The judges offered their final guesses: Maya Jama proposed Chris Ramsey, Davina McCall suggested Brian Cox, Mo Gilligan pointed to Tom Fletcher of McFly, and Jonathan Ross speculated Rufus Hound.
Under the mask was Harry Hill, renowned for hosting the comedy series TV Burp in the 2000s. Upon his reveal, Hill quipped to host Joel Dommett, “I’m not a natural singer—my wife heard me the other day and thought I was choking on a Pot Noodle!” He added that while he enjoyed the experience, the costume had its drawbacks: “The weird thing is, you put the thing on and you’ve got no inhibitions. The only downside is you’re breathing your own breath because it’s all trapped, and I had falafel for lunch!”
Recent Eliminations Shake Up the Competition
Last week, viewers saw Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton du Beke unmasked as Arctic Fox after a stirring performance of Barbra Streisand’s “Woman in Love.” Though eliminated, du Beke expressed mixed emotions: “Devastated naturally. Delighted to be able to perform but devastated to have been voted off!”
Married to Hannah Summers and father to eight-year-old twins, du Beke revealed his motivation for joining: he wanted to surprise his children as a fan of the show. “It’s such a lovely show that’s been going a while,” he said. “I wondered why no one ever asked me before! They have, I just haven’t had the time. The thought of doing this and people trying to guess who you are—it’s great.”
Earlier in the episode, singer Kate Nash was unveiled as Monkey Business following her emotional take on “As Long As He Needs Me” from the musical Oliver!. Nash shared her nerves: “I was so nervous about it, but then I got really nervous about the mask coming off and how it was going to feel singing without the mask. It’s like a little comfort zone—you’re not worrying about anything else when you’re in there. It was a unique experience; it’s going to be hard to give her up.”
Earlier Unmaskings in the Series
The seventh series has already seen several surprises. Shakespeare’s Sister vocalist Marcella Detroit emerged as Gargoyle in the opening weeks. Before that, Yak was revealed to be former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon, better known as Johnny Rotten. Rapper Professor Green had been hiding as Teabag, and in the premiere episode, BBC presenter Alex Jones, co-host of The One Show since 2010, was unmasked as Disc Jockey.
The Masked Singer streams now on ITVX, keeping fans guessing as the competition heats up toward the finale.
