The latest episode of ITV's The Masked Singer delivered another jaw-dropping reveal, sending a well-known rapper packing and featuring a hilarious celebrity guest.
Curtains for Teabag
In the second part of the show's grand return, which aired on Sunday, six new characters took to the stage. After performances from Arctic Fox, Conkers, Monkey Business, Toastie, Teabag, and Yak, the latter two found themselves in the bottom two.
The sing-off concluded with Teabag being eliminated, and the mask finally came off to reveal the face of rapper Professor Green. The panellists, including Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, Maya Jama, and Mo Gilligan, had thrown out guesses ranging from Richard Osman to Mike Tindall, but none landed on the Hackney-born artist.
'I'm really happy none of you guessed it was me,' said the 'Just Be Good To Green' singer afterwards. He explained that his 'Royaltea' clue referenced his charity work with the mental health campaign Heads Together, part of the Royal Foundation.
A Penguin's Surprise Entrance
The night also featured a special guest performance from the Emperor Penguin, who sang 'Pinball Wizard' with his backing band, the Antarctic Funkies. The panel's guesses wildly varied from Bradley Walsh to Peter Andre before the costume was removed.
To everyone's astonishment, the penguin suit contained comedian Matt Lucas, who showcased an impressive singing voice. Lucas joked that the costume was 'very hot' and that he chose it simply because he 'likes a chocolate biscuit'. Other clues nodded to his upcoming role in Gladiator 2. He then joined the judging panel to help guess the remaining contestants.
Series Context and Turbulent Start
This elimination follows the unveiling of Anne-Marie as Goldfish and Alex Jones as Disc Jockey in the season's launch episode on January 4th. The show has, however, had a bumpy start. ITV confirmed that the Red Panda's performance was pulled from the launch show at the last minute due to potential sensitivities linked to the tragic events in Switzerland. Viewers will see Red Panda perform in a later episode.
Reflecting on his time on the show, Professor Green admitted he was 'absolutely' nervous but found singing behind a mask 'freeing'. He expressed amusement that none of the four panellists he knows personally guessed his identity. 'I was laughing behind the mask. I just thought surely one of them is going to get it. But no-one guessed!'
The series continues its quest to find the successor to last year's winner, West End star Samantha Barks. The Masked Singer continues on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1.
