Sophie Ellis-Bextor has said that The Masked Singer UK judges correctly guessed she was Alien, but the moment was cut from the episode.
The Masked Singer originated in South Korea and now takes place in 31 countries. The show sees celebrities wearing elaborate costumes while performing for the judges, who are tasked with guessing their name based on their voice and clues hidden in their performances.
Ellis-Bextor – best known for her 2000 hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” – was the first celebrity to appear on the UK edition’s second season, when the show returned to ITV on Saturday (26 December).
The singer performed Dua Lipa’s “Don't Start Now” dressed in a wacky alien costume.
Although the judges – Rita Ora, Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross and Mo Gilligan – appeared genuinely shocked when the singer took off her mask, Ellis-Bextor revealed that three of the panel had already guessed that it was her thanks to her distinctive voice.
The 41-year-old said: “They didn’t put it in the edit but actually three of the judges said my name as well on the day. So I already knew I’d been rumbled very quickly.”
“I suppose it’s a compliment, the fact that as soon as I opened my mouth, even just as the Alien, my one year old, I literally don’t know how he did this, pointed at the telly and said ‘mummy’,” she added.
Ellis-Bextor went on to say that her husband had also told her that audiences watching the programme were quick to voice their suspicions that it was her on Twitter.
The “Crying at the Discotheque” singer said that it was the “silliness” and “daftness” of The Masked Singer that led her to join the series.
You can read The Independent’s four-star review of the show’s second season here, in which it is described as a “ridiculous, colourful distraction”.
Additional reporting by PA
