The Masked Singer UK 2024, the 5th season of the nation's best-loved guessing game, once again saw twelve celebrities playing bonkers characters and dropping clues about their identity as they took to the stage and sang in disguise each weekend. But who joined The Masked Singer UK winners list and which other celebrities were unmasked?
Joel Dommett was once again hosting the show, along with returning panelists Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan and Rita Ora. They were also joined by a host of special guest judges including Rob Brydon, Lenny Henry, Charlie Simpson, Olly Murs, Jennifer Saunders, Ellie Goulding and Lorraine Kelly.
Here's everything you need to know about The Masked Singer UK 2024...
The Masked Singer UK 2024 release date
The Masked Singer UK 2024 started on Saturday, December 30. The final aired on Saturday, February 17, 2024, and you can now watch the entire season and past seasons of the show on ITVX.
What are the costumes for The Masked Singer UK season 5?
The costumes for 2024 were as brilliant and bonkers as ever before. Here are the season 5 costumes...
They’re a real HOOT… it’s OWL
Here for a FRYING visit… it’s AIR FRYER
They’re everyone’s cup of tea… it’s BUBBLE TEA
They’re made of steely stuff… it’s EIFFEL TOWER
Ready to take it to the maximus – it’s CHICKEN CAESAR
Hoping they can sink their teeth into their performance… it’s PIRANHA
Here to lead us on a merry dance… it’s MAYPOLE
Ready to bowl you over… it’s CRICKET
Things are about to get hairy…it’s BIGFOOT
Guaranteed to give a cracking performance ….. its DIPPY EGG
Ready to storm the stage…it’s WEATHER
Get ready to scream and jump on a chair… it’s RAT
Who was unmasked each week on The Masked Singer UK 2024?
Week 1 — Weather
The first celebrity to be revealed was 85-year-old and five-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist Dionne Warwick. Almost all of the panel guessed who was hiding under the beautiful storm cloud costume after recognising Dionne's legendary voice.
Week 2 — Chicken Caesar
Pointless host and comedian Alexander Armstrong was revealed to be behind Chicken Caesar's costume. Talking about taking part in the show, he said: "I've been longing to do it, every year I'm always getting messages saying are you so and so? Are you Traffic Cone? And I say maybe! I've loved it, it's the beginning of the journey and the end of the journey but what a journey it's been!"
Week 3 — Rat
The judges and nation were stunned as Rat was revealed to be Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas after a sing-off with Dippy Egg. After her unmasking, she said: "I would say it's one of the best times of my life. I enjoyed every minute of it, it's way out of my comfort zone and I totally loved it."
Week 4 — Bubble Tea
Absolutely Fabulous legend Julia Sawalha was unmasked as Bubble Tea in week 4.
After she was unmasked, she said of her time on the show: "I've loved it. My friend earlier this year said, 'You don't sing enough Julia.' And then this came up and I thought, 'I really need to do something I'm absolutely terrified of.'"
Week 5 — Owl
The panel and audience alike were stunned when Owl turned out to be daytime TV presenter Lorraine Kelly. Speaking of her time on the show, Lorraine said "I just wanted to have a bit of fun to kick off the year and to be a bit silly. I've never had a chance to sing in front of an audience before, and I thought if I was behind a mask it wouldn't be as scary.
"I was astounded that the panel didn't get me right away because I thought they would hear my Scottish accent. I worked quite hard to try not to be too Scottish, but I thought they would get me right away, and I thought it was hilarious who they were saying. It was really funny. I was really pleased that they didn't get me."
Week 6 — Maypole and Dippy Egg
There was a double eviction in week 6, that saw both Maypole and Dippy Egg unmasked. Maypole was revealed to be Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton after going undetected for weeks. Once the reveal was made, Rita Ora said: "Now hearing your voice and tone of course it’s you." Melody replied: "It’s been fun! Maypole is such a sweetheart."
Dippy Egg was revealed to be radio and TV presenter Nicky Campbell, who is also Davina McCall’s co-host on the ITV show Long Lost Families. After failing to correctly guess him for weeks, Davina screamed once Nicky took off his mask and ran on stage to hug him.
She said while fighting back tears: “This is the best surprise… better than any birthday. I love this man! Nicky’s a friend, we’ve been working together for 13 years and I can not believe I didn’t recognize your voice, I didn’t recognize your singing voice. I know your singing voice! This is insane.” Speaking after his elimination, Nicky revealed: "It was incredible. I was emotional all the way through just trying to see her through the mask. Each performance, I could just sort of make her out, and I was thinking, 'it's so near, yet so far away!'"
Week 7 — Air Fryer and Eiffel Tower
Air Fryer was unmasked as The Greatest Showman star Keala Settle.
After being unmasked the stage icon said: "There were so many close [guesses]. One of the guest judges you had, I actually knew Jennifer Saunders! I did Sister Act in the West End with her. I was standing there going, 'Please don’t guess me.' It was a massive learning experience and it was a game changer for me."
Eiffel Tower was 80s pop icon Tiffany Darwish. Talking about her time on the show, Tiffany said: "I have had a blast, thank you. I love Eiffel Tower. She's so beautiful."
Who won the Masked Singer UK 2024?
Week 8 — The Final: Cricket, Bigfoot and Piranha unmasked
The winner for 2024 was Piranha, who was unmasked as McFly singer and guitarist Danny Jones. On being crowned the champion Danny said, “I’ve had the most amazing time, I can escape behind here and just be Piranha and sing these songs. I’ve learned so much, I’m able to sing higher now just from being on this show. I am so happy, thank you!”
TV presenter and co-host of The Last Leg, Alex Brooker came second as Bigfoot. Alex said, “It was just the most fun. I love the show, my daughters love this show, they’ve got no idea. Girls, this is where daddy’s been going all the time, this is why daddy’s been singing in the car!”
In third place was singer Lemar, who was unmasked as Cricket. On taking part in the show, Lemar said, “I thought it was going to be fun but it's been more fun than I could have imagined. I’m a fan of the show. Just getting to express yourself on different songs that people maybe wouldn't expect, that’s been a lot of fun.”
The Masked Singer UK 2024 presenter
Joel Dommett was back with yet more jazzy suits and hilarious one-liners — hurrah! Of course, we also saw Joel in The Masked Singer: I'm A Celebrity special and the Christmas special!
Speaking before the show's return, Joel said: "We've definitely got some of the best vocalists we've ever had on the show and we've had some really incredible ones in the past.
"They are also the best costumes ever. If they don’t make you smile, well, get out! Air Fryer is unbelievably silly. It's so liberating to be a part of a show where first of all, people really enjoy it and also from my point of view, any idea I have, it's fair game. Even when it comes to the suits!
"I have a suit which has crazy patterns and kind of looks like wallpaper. So I said to the producers "Could I start the show as the wallpaper?" and make a joke of that? It's so cool as a creative person to just think of something and then it happens. It's the best job ever."
Who was on the panel for The Masked Singer UK 2024?
Panelists Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Mo Gilligan were all back for 2024.
Davina McCall admitted ahead of the show that she had been doing some research ahead of the 2024 series... "Do you know what? I’ve been looking through all the celebrity magazines to see who’s around at the moment. I’ve been doing my homework!"
Jonathan Ross also admitted that he had a favorite costume this year..."I love all of them, but I really loved Weather. I thought that was a really beautiful, quite romantic, quite poetic-looking costume. I liked Piranha a lot. They're fun, I have to say. Bubble Tea is great. Well, Bubble Tea and Air Fryer make the show very, very modern, don't they? There's a couple of phrases that weren't in common conversation two or three years ago, and now we've got them dancing on primetime ITV1!"
Is there a trailer for The Masked Singer UK 2024?
Yes! ITV released a trailer when the season started and you can see all your favourite characters in action on stage...
Who won The Masked Singer UK season 4?
The 2023 winner was Busted singer Charlie Simpson who was revealed to be hiding in a rhino costume. Some of the panel guessed his identity correctly and even host Joel said he had been convinced it was Charlie under the rhino mask since the first week.
After his unmasking, Charlie said: "I was terrified the entire time. The thing I was scared most of was remembering lyrics. I often forget lyrics to my own songs on stage, so the last version of 'Try' I did, was the only time I didn't really think about it and I tried to enjoy it."
