DAVINA McCall has taken a swipe at TV talent shows, claiming viewers prefer The Masked Singer because there is “no disappointment or upset”.
The first two series of the musical guessing game, which features Davina on the panel, have been a smash hit — and a third is about to hit our screens.
Millions of viewers will once again tune in and try to identify the singing celebrities disguised by wacky outfits before they are unmasked.
Davina, 54, said: “I think the really nice thing about having a guessing show is that it’s not a talent contest.
“A talent contest at some point has disappointment and real upset at the end of it.
“Whereas with our show, an unmasking is a celebration. Even though it means the singer isn’t going any further, it’s still like, ‘Who is it?’ It’s just the most exciting thing ever.
“The first series, we’re going, ‘At the heart of it, it’s a guessing game — it’s not a talent competition.’
“And the public were going, ‘But it’s celebrities singing. It must be talent.’ Now everybody gets it.”
Host Joel Dommett, 36, also had a dig at talent shows like The X Factor.
He said: “The Masked Singer is not really a competition. You’re just part of something that’s brilliant. It’s not like you get a huge cash prize if you win, or a record contract.
“It’s not the public who are voting, it’s the people in the studio. So there’s less of a feeling like, ‘I’ve got to please the whole country.’
“Genuinely, no one’s been annoyed, because it’s a win-win situation. If you go through, you get to be in the show for longer. If you don’t go through, you get to go home earlier. It’s great.”
Davina added: “It’s a very happy show. And it’s not a competition. No one’s upset.”
The Masked Singer, which originated in South Korea, first aired in the UK in 2020, with Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts winning as Queen Bee and comedian Jason Manford taking the runner-up spot as Hedgehog.
In the second series, 8.6million viewers watched winner Joss Stone emerge from her Sausage disguise.
Davina — along with Jonathan Ross, 61, pop star Rita Ora, 31, and comic Mo Gilligan, 33 — has to guess who is inside the crazy costumes.
This year’s madcap array of 12 participants includes Robobunny, Chandelier, Firework, Poodle, Traffic Cone, Doughnuts, Bagpipes and Rockhopper — a penguin-style character.
As ever, the identities of the famous faces behind the masks are being kept top secret.
And celebrities are queuing up to take part in the smash-hit show.
Joel said: “It’s weirdly become a cultural reference, which I think is the dream — to become a show that everyone talks about.
“Personally, I think it’s changed the landscape of Saturday night TV.
“It’s nice to know other shows are now trying to put in elements of the audience guessing.”
Davina agreed: “Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?”
The show is so much fun that Davina brought her 15-year-old son along to watch.
She said: “When Chester came, I warned him, ‘It’s going to be a very long record.’
He came with a couple of friends, and he said he didn’t think it was long at all. It was about four and a half hours and they just loved every minute.
Joel added: “Everyone really enjoys working on the show.
“I love working on it. The panel just really get on.
“Even the cameramen really enjoyed filming it, because they love guessing.”
So who is the best guesser on the panel this series?
Joel said: “I think it’s Jonathan. I don’t know whether he’s been eating his Weetabix but he really smashed it this series. Jonathan came up with the best guesses.”
It’s the guessing element that sets The Masked Singer apart from other entertainment shows, with big names such as former footballer Teddy Sheringham, US chart star Ne-Yo and Spice Girl Mel B unmasked in previous series.
Joel and Davina both agree on who is this year’s most impressive reveal.
Davina said: “I was actually disappointed when I realised that Panda wasn’t actually a real panda. They took the mask off and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s a person.’”
Joel said: “The panda is the cutest. It was honestly the best reveal.
“Luckily it was amazing, because we enjoyed the character so much, and they really embodied the character so well. It blew my mind.
“There’s two different reveals this series — one for me and one for Mo — when we both lost our mind.”
Davina chimed in: “Oh yes, Mo was amazing. Mo had been listening to this person that day.” While the performances may be the heart of the show, the panellists’ banter and rivalry are a big part of its success.
Since comedian Mo replaced US comic Ken Jeong in the previous series, the humour has been stepped up a notch.
Davina said: “Mo, me, Rita, Joel and Jonathan all just get to hang out in between times, which is hilarious, as you can imagine. It’s so funny.”
Joel added: “The panel just really get on.
“I just feel there’s such a good vibe in the room from the fact that these guys really enjoy each other’s company, to the fact that I love hosting it.”
- The Masked Singer begins on New Year’s Day at 7pm on ITV.
