A list of tropes for the characters and their performances.
For the characters of the US version see here.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
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Series 1
Viper
- Ranking: First Round Elimination
Real Identity: Jordan Banjo
Dance numbers:
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz
- Conspicuous Gloves: He wears a pair of black, leather, fingerless gloves.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: One of his trouser legs has been torn off.
- Snake People
Flamingo
- Ranking: First Round Elimination
Real Identity: Louise Redknapp
Dance numbers:
"Lady Marmalade" (Moulin Rouge! version) by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and P!nk
- Expy: Of Flamingo from the US version of The Masked Singer (although her outfit is a shade of pink that is closer to actual flamingoes), and possibly of Swan from both the US and UK versions of that show.
Beetroot
- Ranking: Second Round Elimination
Real Identity: Dita Von Teese
Dance numbers:
"I Put a Spell on You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (as covered by Annie Lennox)
"It's My Party" by Lesley Gore
"Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King (Dance-Off)
- Anthropomorphic Food: Well, she is a dancing beetroot.
- Foreshadowing:
- In one of the clue packages, a feather boa could be seen hanging inside the greenhouse. This references Dita's burlesque routines.
- Beetroot claimed that her biggest fans live in Hollywood. Dita has some feather fans which she keeps in Hollywood.
- Ms. Fanservice: She's the most sensual of the dancers, which is not surprising given that it's Dita Von Teese, the Queen of Burlesque, underneath the mask.
Rubber Chicken
- Ranking: Second Round Elimination
Real Identity: Eddie the Eagle
Dance numbers:
"Hippy Hippy Shake" by Chan Romero (as covered by the The Swinging Blue Jeans)
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
"Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA (Dance-Off)
- Furry Reminder: When the judges were discussing who could be behind the mask, Rubber Chicken could be seen strutting around the stage like he is an actual chicken, and pretending to peck the floor. By episode four, Joel scattered actual seeds on the stage, which Rubber Chicken immediately attempted to eat.
- Hidden Depths: His performance for "Mambo No. 5" was performed as a jive. Eddie revealed after his unmasking that he had been learning how to dance Modern Jive for 20 years.
- Living Toys: He's specifically a rubber chicken rather than a normal one, and parts of his clue packages take place in a toy shop.
- Red Herring: There were a few hints that he was Bradley Walsh, such as references to being chased (since Walsh is a host on The Chase), and one of his statements in “Two Lies and a Truth” was that "[his] chick is a purple dinosaur" (a reference to Barney the Dinosaur, as Barney is the name of Walsh’s son), which turned out to be a lie.
Beagle
- Ranking: 8th Place
Real Identity: Christopher Dean
Dance numbers:
"Bang Bang" by will.i.am
"Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley
"Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra
- Foreshadowing:
- Beagle talks about the entire nation watching him on TV. This refers to Dean and Torvill's Bolero ice skating routine in the 1984 Winter Olympics.
- After his "Hound Dog" performance, Beagle picks up a rubber chicken toy from his kennel and throws it about on stage. Both Christopher Dean and Eddie the Eagle are best known for participating in the Winter Olympics, though Christopher did significantly better than Eddie.
- During "Two Lies and a Truth", he claims to have "been upstaged by a comedy legend". This refers to the Comic Relief sketch "Torvill and Bean
", where Mr Bean skates with Jayne Torvill instead of him. - In his "Fly Me to the Moon" performance, the list of flight departures in the background once again references the Olympics, as one of the locations is Tokyo, where the 2020 Olympics were supposed to take place. Additionally, some of his moves that involve lifting another dancer resemble figure skating moves.
- Funny Animal: The costume is a walking, talking, dancing beagle wearing a pilot's outfit.
- Furry Reminder: After his first performance, he drops onto his back to imitate a dog rolling around wanting a belly rub, and when he leaves the stage, he stops and lifts up his leg to imitate a dog urinating.
Llama
- Ranking: 7th Place
Real Identity: Zoe Ball
Dance numbers:
"Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones and His Orchestra
"Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish
"You Can Never Tell" by Chuck Berry
- Bifauxnen: Llama is female, but her costume looks as though she is a Regency-era gentleman.
- Expy: Of Llama from the US version of The Masked Singer, although this one looks much more fancy.
- Foreshadowing: Llama's Word Up clue was "regular". This refers to Zoe Ball being a radio DJ, and her voice is regularly heard on the radio.
- Funny Animal: She's a walking, talking, dancing Llama dressed in fancy clothing.
- High-Class Glass: Llama wears a monocle.
Knickerbocker Glory
- Ranking: 6th Place
Real Identity: Craig Revel Horwood
Dance numbers:
"Telephone" by Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
"All That Jazz" by Liza Minnelli
"I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters (Dance-Off)
"Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" by Todrick Hall
"Despacito" by Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee / "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran
- Ambiguous Gender: Their voice when altered is feminine sounding, whereas their real voice is masculine sounding. Considering Craig's previous stints in drag and panto, this is a big clue to their identity.
- Anthropomorphic Food: The costume is a dancing ice-cream.
- Breaking Old Trends: They are the first drag character in the UK version of the Masked Singer/Dancer franchise.
- Disguised in Drag: The costume is female, but the dancer inside is male.
- Eyes Always Shut: Knickerbocker Glory’s mask has the face permanently laughing with the eyes closed.
- Foreshadowing:
- Knickerbocker Glory talks about being cast as the villain. Craig Revel Horwood often plays the role of the villain in pantomines.
- In the background of his performance to "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels", the outline of Australia is printed on the cans of squirty cream. In a bonus clue VT, the character's name is printed upside down on a desert menu. Craig was born in Australia.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: They are this to Oti Mabuse since they are both involved in Strictly Come Dancing.
- Significant Anagram: Claims at one point to have a "Weird choral groove", an anagram of his real name.
Frog
- Ranking: 5th Place
Real Identity: Kelly Brook
Dance numbers:
"Boom! Shake the Room" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland (as covered by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole)
"Hey Ya!" by Outkast (Dance-Off)
"Little Shop of Horrors" from Little Shop of Horrors
"Shout Out to My Ex" by Little Mix
"One Way or Another" by Blondie (Dance-Off)
- Bifauxnen: She is a woman who wears a millitary-style uniform, specifically for the Navy.
- Character Tics: Frog does a lot of salutes, in reference to the naval design of the character.
- Expy: Of Frog from the US version of The Masked Singer.
-
Fake American: Frog spoke in an American accent throughout the competition, as a Red Herring. - Foreshadowing:
- Frog claims that she has an effect on men. Kelly Brook is a model, and she is often featured on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list.
- In one clue package, Frog says that there is nothing two-dimensional about her. This is a nod to her role in Piranha 3D.
- Red Herring: She talks with an American accent and refers to travelling “across the pond”, leading people to believe she’s American. It turns out her accent is fake; she’s actually British, and was referring to travelling to America, not from it.
Scarecrow
- Ranking: 4th Place
Real Identity: Tamzin Outhwaite
Dance numbers:
"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire (as covered by Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick in Trolls)
"Timber" by Pitbull feat. Kesha
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran
"Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC
"Come Alive" by Years & Years & Jess Glynne
- Animate Inanimate Object: A living scarecrow.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: She wears mismatched socks.
- Foreshadowing: In the final episode, Scarecrow admitted that she was worried her identity would be uncovered by guest judge Holly Willoughby. It turns out that Tamzin Outhwaite is cousins with Holly's husband, meaning that the two are cousins-in-law.
Zip
- Ranking: 3rd Place
Real Identity: Howard Donald
Dance numbers:
"Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang / "Good Times" by Chic
"Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang
"A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay
"Use It Up and Wear It Out" by Odyssey
"Super Freak" by Rick James
"Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang / "Good Times" by Chic (Finale reprise)
- Animate Inanimate Object: He's a dancing zip with limbs and a face. One of his performances also had dancing DJ equipment.
- Breakout Character: Zip also appears in the show's break bumpers.
- Cool Shades: Part of Zip's mask design is a pair of oversized, rose-tinted sunglasses.
- Foreshadowing:
- On the back of Zip's mask are the initials 'SWW'. Howard Donald's debut solo single is called "Speak Without Words".
- During one of his clue packages he says "let it shine", a reference to one of Take That's most famous songs.
Squirrel
- Ranking: Runner-up
Real Identity: Bonnie Langford
Dance numbers:
"Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
"Single Ladies" by Beyoncé
"Scream" by Usher
"Havana" by Camila Cabello
"Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
"Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift (Finale reprise)
- Conspicuous Gloves: She wears white, leather, fingerless gloves over her paws.
- Foreshadowing:
- Squirrel hinted that she was associated with a doctor. Bonnie Langford played Mel, who was a companion to the Sixth and Seventh Doctors in Doctor Who.
- In one clue package, Squirrel is seen looking at a picture of will.i.am and claims that it's just him. This is a nod to the 1977 TV adaptation of Just William. Bonnie Langford played the character of Violet Elizabeth Bott.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Holly Willoughby joins the panel as a guest judge for the final. Bonnie Langford was once a contestant on Dancing on Ice, a show that Holly is a host on.
- Older Than They Look: You would think from her outfit and energetic performances that she's a young woman, and indeed the judges' guesses were often based around celebrities in their 20s and 30s. She's actually the middle-aged Bonnie Langford, who is also the oldest female contestant in the whole series.
Carwash
- Ranking: Winner
Real Identity: Louis Smith
Dance numbers:
"Car Wash" by Christina Aguilera feat. Missy Elliott
"You're the One That I Want" / "Greased Lightning" / "Born to Hand Jive" from Grease
"24K Magic" by Bruno Mars
"Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' in the Rain
"Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior (Dance-Off)
"Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
"You're the One That I Want" / "Greased Lightning" / "Born to Hand Jive" from Grease (Finale reprise)
- Animate Inanimate Object: He's a walking, talking, dancing carwash brush, although he doesn't have a face. Some of his performances also feature dancing sponges.
- Expy: Looks very similar to Whatchamacallit from the US version of The Masked Singer, even sharing the same colour scheme and lacking a face.
- Foreshadowing:
- One of Carwash's clues was "I am honoured to be here". This refers to Louis Smith's MBE.
- Carwash claimed that this wasn't the first time he has been a finalist. Louis had been a finalist in three Olympic Games, and he was runner-up on The Jump, and the winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.
- One of the posters in Carwash's clue package showed 'Bronze wash', 'Silver wash', but had 'Gold wash' crossed out. Overall, Louis has won one bronze medal and two silver medals at the Olympics.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Carwash's costume is the only one in the first series which has no face at all.
- Red Herring: Some of the hints that applied to Louis Smith also applied to Matt Baker, such as being a gymnast and having previously been a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.
Series 2
Astronaut
- Ranking: First Round Elimination
Real Identity: Jesse Metcalfe
Dance numbers:
"Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd
- Expy: Of the Astronaut from the US version of The Masked Singer.
- Foreshadowing:
- In the clue package, Astronaut looks at a cheeseboard, white van, and tent through a telescope. This refers to the character Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives, a series which Jesse is known for.
- Astronaut claims to be known by the same name twice. Jesse has played two characters called John; Rowland in Desperate Housewives, and Tucker in John Tucker Must Die.
- Squee: Oti and several audience members react like this when Astronaut's identity is revealed.
Pig
- Ranking: First Round Elimination
Real Identity: Joanna Page
Dance numbers:
"Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves
- Bifauxnen: She wears a country-style suit, and the panel had difficulty telling if she was a man or a woman, although their guesses mostly leaned towards female celebrities.
- Funny Animal: She's a walking, talking, dancing pig wearing patterened clothes.
- Foreshadowing: In the background of Pig's performance is a cottage with the number 47 on prominent display. This refers to Gavin & Stacey, as Joanna plays the titular character Stacey Shipman, who lived at no. 47.
- Visual Pun: The jacket and shorts of her outfit are made from or have the same patterns as blankets, making her a pig in a blanket. She even refers to herself as such during her clue video.
Prawn Cocktail
- Ranking: Second Round Elimination
Real Identity: Stacey Dooley
Dance numbers:
"One Night Only" from Dreamgirls
"Physical" by Dua Lipa
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper (as covered by Miley Cyrus) (Dance Jam)
- Anthropomorphic Food: They're a cross between this and Funny Animal, since they resemble a prawn more than a cocktail.
- Foreshadowing:
- Prawn Cocktail was once told that she spoke wrongly. Stacey has a strong accent, which some people did not take kindly to when she started out her career as a TV presenter.
- Prawn Cocktail claims to be slow at collecting awards. Stacey was awarded an MBE in 2018, but she was unable to attend Buckingham Palace to collect it from the Queen.
Cactus
- Ranking: Second Round Elimination
Real Identity: Gareth Malone
Dance numbers:
"Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin
"Too Darn Hot" by Cole Porter
"Jump" by Kris Kross (Dance Jam)
- Cactus Person: They're a dancing cactus dressed like a wrestler, specifically a luchador.
- Foreshadowing:
- One clue package shows several stars pinned to a crate. This references Gareth's All Star Choir, a choir made up of celebrities who sung the official single for Children in Need 2014.
- Cactus talks about his debut picking up awards. Gareth's first TV series, The Choir, won a BAFTA for Best Feature in 2007.
Pillar and Post
- Ranking: 8th Place (withdrew)
Real Identities: David and Frankie Seaman
Dance numbers:
"Please Mr. Postman" by The Marvelettes
"Giant" by Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man
- Animate Inanimate Object: They are a red postbox and a pile of letters and parcels respectively.
- Breaking Old Trends: The first group costume on any Masked Dancer season, and also the first in the UK Masked Singer/Dancer franchise.
- Everything's Better with Sparkles: Pillar's costume includes sparkly sequins.
- Foreshadowing: In one of the clue packages, a safe is seen on the doorstep of the house. This refers to David Seaman's nickname "Safe Hands".
- Non-Gameplay Elimination: They were forced to withdraw from the competition after Pillar injured her ankle during rehearsals.
- One Head Taller: Post is just over a head taller than Pillar.
Tomato Sauce
- Ranking: 7th Place
Real Identity: Steph McGovern
Dance numbers:
"C'est la Vie" by B*Witched
"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo
"Red Alert" by Basement Jaxx
- Anthropomorphic Food: Resembles a regular tomato rather than a bottle or jar of sauce, but it still counts.
- Expy: Of Beetroot from the previous season.
- Foreshadowing:
- Tomato Sauce talks about a stomach churning experience. Once, when Steph was still a news presenter, she was at a party when she was told to interview the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street the next day. She was hungover when she arrived at No. 10, and she threw up in the toilets.
- Tomato Sauce's Word Up clue is "what the [bleep]". This refers to the time that Steph accidentally swore live on air while presenting BBC Breakfast.
- Tomato Sauce's clue packages feature a lot of food. This is because Steph presents a daytime show called Steph's Packed Lunch.
Candlestick
- Ranking: 6th Place
Real Identity: Liam Charles
Dance numbers:
"Relight My Fire" by Take That!
"Dangerous Love" by Fuse ODG and Sean Paul
"THATS WHAT I WANT" by Lil Nas X
"Finesse" by Bruno Mars
- Animate Inanimate Object: They're dancing candlestick, although they don't have a face.
- Foreshadowing:
- One of Candlestick's clues is the phrase "five minutes left". This references Liam's time on The Great British Bake Off.
- In one dance, the backup dancers had the words "TA" and "SS" stitched onto their costumes. These are the initials of Tom Allen and Stacy Solomon, Liam's co-presenters on Bake Off: The Professionals.
Sea Slug
- Ranking: 5th Place
Real Identity: Denise Lewis
Dance numbers:
"When I Grow Up" by The Pussycat Dolls
"Rockabye" by Clean Bandit, Sean Paul & Anne-Marie
"Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez
"Under The Sea" from The Little Mermaid (1989)
"Instruction" by Jax Jones, Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don
- Ambiguous Gender: During Sea Slug's first dance, the judges had difficulty telling if they were a man or a woman, since the costume makes it hard to tell and their actual height is unclear due to the fact that they wear high heels. They quickly realise that Sea Slug is a woman following her second dance.
Odd Socks
- Ranking: 4th Place
Real Identity: Kimberley Walsh
Dance numbers:
"What a Man Gotta Do" by The Jonas Brothers
"This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan/"It's Tricky" by Run–D.M.C.
"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
"Run The World (Girls)" by Beyoncé
"I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts
"You Can't Stop The Beat" from Hairspray (Dance Jam)
- Living Clothes: They're a dancing pile of socks with a face.
Pearly King
- Ranking: 3rd Place
Real Identity: Bruno Tonioli
Dance numbers:
"Going Underground" by The Jam
"I Like the Way" by BodyRockers
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" by The Arrows (Dance Jam)
"Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes
"House of Fun" by Madness
"Youngblood" by 5 Seconds of Summer
"I Like To Move It" by Reel 2 Reel (as covered by will.i.am for Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted) (Dance Jam)
"ABCDEFU" by GAYLE
"Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes (Finale reprise)
- Breaking Old Trends: The first character in the UK version of The Masked Singer/Dancer to not be named after the animal they are.
- Funny Animal: A walking, talking, dancing lion wearing Pearly clothes.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Much like Knickerbocker Glory in the first season, he is this to Oti Mabuse as they were both involved in Strictly Come Dancing.
- Large Ham: After his performances, Pearly King loves to hug Joel and playfully swat him. At one point in episode 4, he even manages to convince Joel to lie down on the floor with him and crawl like they're both lions.
- No Sense of Personal Space: As mentioned above, he has trouble keeping his hands off of Joel.
- Visual Pun: The costume is a lion dressed in clothes decorated in mother-of-pearl buttons, based on the charitable tradition known as "Pearly Kings and Queens". It is literally a Pearly King of the Beasts.
Onomatopoeia
- Ranking: Runner-up
Real Identity: Adam Garcia
Dance numbers:
"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran
"Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas / "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas
"Flashdance (What A Feeling)" by Irene Cara
"Canned Heat" by Jamiroquai
"Butter" by BTS
"Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera (Dance Jam)
"Came Here for Love" by Sigala and Ella Eyre
"Butter" by BTS (Finale reprise)
"Pop" by *NSYNC (Ultimate Dance Jam)
"Let's Go" by Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo (Ultimate Dance Jam)
- Anthropomorphic Personification: Their costume is based on words and sound effects, represented similarly to a comic book.
- Hidden Depths: Their performance to "Butter" reveals that they're good at tap dancing.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Downplayed; they're male and wear a skirt, but nothing else about their outfit is very feminine.
- Written Sound Effect: The costume is an anthropomorphic version of this.
Scissors
- Ranking: Winner
Real Identity: Heather Morris
Dance numbers:
"Sorry" by Justin Bieber
"So What" by P!nk
"The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera
"Wannabe" by Spice Girls
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto
"Best Song Ever" by One Direction (Dance Jam)
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin
"Wannabe" by Spice Girls (Finale reprise)
"Cut To The Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen (Ultimate Dance Jam)
"Let's Go" by Calvin Harris and Ne-Yo (Ultimate Dance Jam)
- Animate Inanimate Object: A dancing pair of scissors.
Other
Goose
- Real Identity: Dani Dyer
- Foreshadowing: Most of the Lidl products in the idents referenced her appearances in Love Island.
- Funny Animal: She's a goose dressed up as if she's travelling to a hot country, who's also shown to be shopping at Lidl.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: The costume looks male but the celebrity wearing it is female.
Parrot
- Real Identity: Helen Flanagan
- Sweet Polly Oliver: The costume looks male but the celebrity wearing it is female.
