The Masked Singer final, ITV1, review: No element of surprise meant fishy finale was a damp squib
Pufferfish might have blown the competition away but the result was a let-down. A predictable batch of reveals and a blandly boring winner meant that a hitherto strong series of The Masked Singer (ITV1) ended with a whimper, not a bang. 'Take it off!' chanted the audience. 'Turn it off!' groaned viewers at home.
After swimming to victory, big-lunged Pufferfish was confirmed to be West End diva Samantha Barks. The piscine performer possessed a serious set of pipes but her identity was so obvious, it sucked all the air out of proceedings. 'TV's biggest musical mystery' relies on the element of surprise, hence this finale was a damp squib.
The sixth series of the kitschy crooning contest reached its climax with three fancy-dressed celebrities standing. It was like a wildlife documentary gone horribly wrong as Pufferfish, Wolf and Dressed Crab battled it out to be crowned champion. All the disguised famous faces had been widely guessed, both online and in the press. Their unmaskings weren't a patch on the franchise's all-time best: Kermit the Frog emerging from a giant snail's shell on the US edition. Although frankly, what could be? Apart perhaps from Miss Piggy riding in on Shergar.
Barks can consider herself fortunate to edge out Dressed Crab, aka runner-up Gregory Porter. The Grammy-winner's velvety soulful voice has been a series standout. Beneath the crustacean costume, Porter sported his signature flat cap with a chin strap. It must have been unbearably sweaty under there. He deserved to scuttle sideways to victory.
In third place was Wolf, hotly tipped to be Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow. So it proved, despite Jonathan Ross' repeated insistence all series that it was Sir Cliff Richard. A howler if ever there was one. Once he removed his lupine disguise, Pellow performed a crowd-pleasing rendition of Love Is All Around from Four Weddings & A Funeral. A suitably soppy choice for the day after Valentine's.
The panel of Ross, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and McFly's ubiquitous Danny Jones – reigning champion after winning last year's series as Piranha – tried to work out the hopefuls' identities. Joel Dommett hosted with a sparkly tuxedo and cue cards packed with painful puns. His riddle-me-this clues were often reminiscent of retro gameshow 3-2-1. What no Ted Rogers or Dusty Bin?
Jama came into this final having clocked up the most correct guesses. Replacing irritant Rita Ora, she has proved a considerable upgrade. Ross' jokily left-field guesses have become a running joke. Any woman is Mary Berry. Any man is Peter Kay. Indeed, producers should be pulling out all the stops to persuade Kay to sign up for the next series as Garlic Bread.
However, comedian Mo Gilligan's absences due to 'scheduling clashes' were a problem. A revolving cast of rather random replacements - Olympians, actors, basically whoever picks up the phone first - were game enough but felt like a botched solution. If Gilligan can't commit to a primetime show for eight weeks, he should probably bow out.
This has been an enjoyably eventful run for the surreal South Korean sing-off. Highlights have included Pegasus blatantly being Dame Prue Leith, Kingfisher turning out to be artist Sir Grayson Perry and Macy Gray's distinctive raspy vocals giving her away as Toad in the Hole - swiftly followed by Gray stomping off-stage in a huff.
Sure, it's tacky, trashy and unashamedly daft but The Masked Singer's kitschy blend of crowd-pleasing tunes, tongue-in-cheek humour and colourful head-to-toe costumes makes for irresistible, family-friendly fun. It's been a blast of brightness and warmth during the dark winter months.
It's also a rare ITV light entertainment franchise which doesn't depend on Ant and Dec. Don't relax and remove your earplugs yet, though. Just when you thought the noisy Saturday night nonsense was over, it will be replaced in next weekend's schedules by Britain's Got Talent. And guess who's hosting?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
33 minutes ago
- Sky News
From niche to a billion pound industry: How immersive events have taken over
While cinemas are struggling and London's West End has witnessed a significant escalation in ticket prices, creatives behind immersive experiences say their sector is experiencing "a gold rush moment". From shows built around obvious fan bases - such as Mamma Mia! The Party - to those working with established intellectual property, including Squid Game: The Experience, the UK has proven to be a world leader when it comes shows that make audiences feel part of the action, rather than just observers. Little Lion Entertainment are the team behind two shows currently running in the UK: Pac-Man Live in Manchester and the Crystal Maze Live in London. Its CEO Tom Lionetti told Sky News: "There has been a real boom in the experience economy… It kind of feels like a bit of a gold rush moment in this industry. "It's not nascent anymore, it really is a big industry and it's getting bigger. "West End theatre is incredibly expensive at the moment and even cinema can be expensive for what it is, so I think it's about caring about the experience … you've got to consider value for money these days." Their Crystal Maze show challenges ticketholders to climb through tunnels and collect crystals just like contestants on the '90s programme. And it's one of the longest-running immersive shows in the world, still going strong in London 15 years after the concept was first staged. "The genesis really was this idea of breaking the fourth wall," Lionetti says. "I was an actor and I come from a theatre background, but what we were really intrigued with was giving people agency so you become the star of the show." Last year, according to the Gensler Research Institute's 2025 Immersive Entertainment & Culture Industry Report, the global market for immersive entertainment was valued at £98bn - and it's projected to reach £351bn by 2030. Despite times being financially tough post-pandemic, while cinemas have been struggling to put bums on seats, the continued popularity of experience events could indicate consumers are being a little more choosy about what they spend their hard-earned wages on. Our eagerness to show off on social media could also account for some of what's driving the boom, as well as the isolating nature of how technology-dependant we've become. As Secret Cinema's senior creative director, Matt Costain, explains: "Whether it's competitive socialising or immersive experiences, people are look for something that offers them more… and this is an example of an activity where people can come together and have a sense of community." Secret Cinema - which combines live performance and film screenings - has been staging events for 15 years now. In that time, they've partnered with major studios from Marvel to Netflix. Their latest offering will run from August see them bring Grease's Rydell High to life. Costain says: "When we first started this was niche, film fans who wanted to dress up and keep a secret… but immersive has moved mainstream and we've found ourselves one of two or three companies who've been in it since the beginning. "Part of our job as artists is to help people remember that they really love to play." He jokes that those "who find it the most difficult to get started" are invariably the ones "at 11pm with their tie tied around their head and dancing on a table". While there are many shows working with established intellectual property (IP), there are also some hugely creative original works also being produced - Storehouse being one of those. For 16 weeks, attendees at Staged in Deptford, which was once the archival store for Rupert Murdoch's News International, will be guided through a story that takes place inside a 'digital memory palace' that supposedly houses every story, message, memory, and meme since the dawn of the internet. Produced by Sage & Jester, its lead producer Rosalyn Newbery explains: "You're not moving into a theatre with infrastructure, put it this way, we literally had to bring electricity to the venue, bring power to the venue, bring water to the venue, none of that was there for us… it's a big old job and there's a lot of detail that you can't take for granted." Over 7,000 crew worked more than 57,000 hours to build the set. Getting a show of this size and scale off the ground is a feat in itself. As creative director Sophie Larsmon says: "There are a lot of people trying to get these projects off the ground and there are a lot of projects that never see the light of day…because of the hoops that have to be jumped through for licensing and financing. "It takes huge amounts of creative effort, I've seen a lot of projects where quite late in the process the green light is taken away." While some creators might struggle to access support because the work doesn't fit into traditional cultural boxes, it is certainly an industry that's worth shining a spotlight on. As Larsom says: "The UK has always led the way in developing this form… I think people are cottoning on to the fact that this is a sector [that's] going to be a big revenue earner for the UK."
Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Daily Record
Wet Wet Wet's Marti Pellow raves about Glasgow's best mac and cheese
The Wet Wet Wet frontman took to TikTok to sing the praises of The Food Stop in Merchant City, calling their mac & cheese 'divine' and locals were quick to back him up. Scots star and Wet Wet Wet sta r Marti Pellow claims he has discovered the best mac and cheese in Glasgow. Marti Pellow took to TikTok to praise The Food Stop in Merchant City. He described the food as 'divine', and locals were quick to agree, reports Glasgow Live. Address his 130,000 followers on the platform, he said: "I'm at The Food Stop in Merchant City, where they do the best macaroni and cheese. It is divine. "So, if you are ever in Glasgow, come down to Merchant City and go to The Food Stop. Get in there early and get your mac and cheese. Mmmm, yummy." Locals were quick to agree with the star, with one writing: "oh my that's my favourite dinner, love it. My mom used to make the most gorgeous mac & cheese everyone used to ask her to make it.." Another added: "I agree with you, it's great." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Bridgerton star Bessie Carter reveals hidden health condition - after hitting back at 'nepo baby' claims
Actress Bessie Carter has revealed she suffers with breathing difficulties after sharing an Instagram reel of her using a nebulizer. The Bridgerton star, 31, said she first became aware that she wasn't breathing properly having squeezed into a tight-fit corset during rehearsals for a West End show last year. With Bessie in high-demand as an actress after the success of Bridgerton, in which she plays Prudence Featherington, her Instagram post on Thursday revealed she has since turned to a nebulizer to combat the problem. Typically used by those that suffer with conditions such as asthma or bronchitis, the apparatus makes breathing easier by delivering medication in the form of mist to the lungs. Sharing a selfie of herself with the nebulizer in her mouth to her Instagram stories, the 31-year-old captioned the post: 'Reality'. The TV star is currently starring alongside her mother Imelda Staunton for the first time in the West End show Mrs Warren's Profession. During a recent podcast the Bridgerton actor spoke about her breathing issue more extensively, including the moment she realised it was a problem. She said: 'The show we did at the National last year, I had to have extra help from the voice person to get my ribs moving, because I am so used to holding my ribs in because of wanting that thin waist, which again is so internalised and so subconscious, I don't' even know I am holding it in.' It comes after Bessie - whose dad is Downton Abbey actor Jim Carter - hit back against claims she is a 'nepo baby' during an interview with The Independent. Despite her parents huge successes in the world of acting, Bessie insisted she has worked for career and 'doesn't really care' about the term 'nepo baby' being used. 'I have a lot of drive to make stuff happen myself, instead of waiting for the phone to ring,' she said. 'Some people might use that phrase (nepo baby), but I don't really care. I believe in myself and my trajectory being what it is, and I've never used my parents, ever, to get any work.' Supporting Bessie was her mother, with Imelda adding: 'There seem to be about 22 million more actors now. During the time of Maggie [Smith] and Robert Stephens [the late parents of the actor Toby Stephens], you could count actors with that level of celebrity on one hand. 'Now it's not unusual for children to have parents who are also actors, simply because there are so many of them.' Bessie did however admit that she's taken inspiration from her parents and their successful careers, heaping praise onto the pair. The 31-year-old's latest endeavour sees her star as Nancy Mitford in the new six-episode series Outrageous, which follows the lives of the Mitford sisters and is based on Mary S Lovell's biography. After the show's release yesterday, Bessie and her castmates celebrated at the Sea Containers hotel. with the actress put up in a luxury suite with panoramic views across London.
