The Masked Singer: Who is Duck? Clues and theories for the celebrity identity

31 January 2020, 11:21 | Updated: 23 December 2020, 11:08

The Masked Singer Duck
Picture: ITV

By Tom Eames

The Masked Singer has taken America by storm, and it's now entertaining UK fans with its amazing twist on the TV talent show format.

Originally a South Korean show, The Masked Singer features celebrities singing in head-to-toe costumes and face masks, which hide their true identities from other contestants, the panelists, and even the audience.

The Masked Singer: What is the new bonkers celebrity ITV talent show?

Essentially, they all look like football mascots singing, but we have no idea who they are until they're eliminated.

As each episode passes, we'll look at the theories and clues behind each mask, including:

  1. Who is Duck?

    Songs:

    Week 1: Like a Virgin – Madonna

    Week 2: Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

    Week 2 'save me' song: Ave Maria

    Week 3: Blinded By Your Grace - Stormzy

    Clues:

    - Is shy and quiet

    - Is something of a runner

    - A bit of a 'softie'

    - Can speak several different languages including German and Italian

    - Once had 850,000 people sing happy birthday to her, and she once sang it to someone very significant.

    Guesses from judges and fans have so far included Denise Lewis and Skunkanansie singer Skin.

    Skunk Anansie singer Skin
    Skunk Anansie singer Skin. Picture: Getty
  2. Who are the other contestants?

    The full list of Masked Singers are:

    - Butterfly (revealed as Patsy Palmer in episode 1)

    - Pharaoh (revealed as Alan Johnson in episode 2)

    - Chameleon (revealed as Justin Hawkins in episode 3)

    - Tree (revealed as Terry Sheringham in episode 4)

    - Daisy (revealed as Kelis in episode 5)

    - Octopus

    - Fox

    - Duck

    - Queen Bee

    - Hedgehog

    - Unicorn

    - Monster

  3. What is The Masked Singer?

    The Masked Singer | Starts This January on ITV

    12 celebrities compete on the show anonymously, all wearing costumes, over 10 episodes.

    Each episode, some of the competitors are paired off into face-off competitions, where each will perform a song of their choice.

    From each face-off, the panelists and live audience vote. The winner is safe for the week, while the loser is put up for elimination.

    At the end of the episode, the losers of the face-offs are then put to the earlier votes of the panelists, to discover who will head home. The eliminated singer then takes off their mask to reveal their real identity.

    Hints are also given to each masked singer's identity during the show. The panelists are given time to guess the identity of the singer after the performance, and ask them a single question.

    In the US, the likes of Donny Osmond, Seal, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, and LaToya Jackson have taken part.

  4. Who will appear in the UK version and when does it start?

    Former I'm a Celebrity star Joel Dommett will host the UK version, which launches on ITV on Saturday, January 4 at 7pm. The second episode airs on Sunday, January 5 at 8pm.

    The four judges will be: Jonathan Ross, Rita Ora, Davina McCall, and Ken Jeong from the US version.