THE Masked Singer will feature its first duet when ITV’s hit show returns for a fourth series in January.
Up to now, the Saturday night ratings-winner has only featured solo artists but bosses wanted to shake things up.
It’s a shift seen in the last series of The Masked Dancer when David Seaman and wife Frankie Poultney took to the stage as Pillar and Post.
A TV insider said: “Having duets on The Masked Singer is a big change which could open the door to having groups on the show.
“This is a pattern we’ve seen on the US version, where they have had duets appearing for some time.
“That has led to the creation of even crazier costumes, some featuring two singers inside one outfit.
“It has also seen groups included in the line-up, including MMMBop singers Hanson who last year appeared as Russian dolls.
“Producers on the UK show are keen to keep the format fresh now it has become an established part of the schedules and they see this as the perfect way.
“It will also make it harder for the judges to guess who the disguised stars are as they will have to distinguish between two voices.
“They will also have to work out what the link is between the two people, assuming there is one.”
It’s not the first time we’ve seen duets on the UK version.
Jason Manford as Hedgehog, JLS singer Aston Merrygold as Robin and Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts as Queen Bee — returned to perform with the finalists.
But they have never had duets competing week in, week out.
It is expected that Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan, Rita Ora and Davina McCall will return as the panel.
I wonder if they know the challenge of guessing the acts just got that bit harder?
Ross on inside of UK jails
Ross Kemp is going back to prison – revealing his latest documentary will be about UK jails.
The ex-EastEnders actor says the films have been the toughest to make yet, due to the huge amount of security that is involved.
He explained: “One show I’m working on is about incarceration – that’s all I can say at the moment – at prisons in the UK. There’s absolutely loads of security involved.
“It’s not just making sure we’re safe, but making sure the inmates are happy about it, the officers and then the Ministry of Justice as well.”
Ross is also working on a diving show for Sky History, plus a celebrity version of his BBC1 quiz Bridge of Lies.
Back in black, cool
STRICTLY stars are back in Blackpool for the first time since the pandemic.
And they couldn’t contain their excitement ahead of this weekend’s show, as this smiling selfie of Will Melor and his pro partner Nancy Xu, and Molly Rainford with Carlos Gu, shows .
Elsewhere, Ellie Taylor and partner Johannes Radebe enjoyed a horse and carriage ride along the promenade checking out Blackpool Tower – the home of ballroom – which was lit up in rainbow colours.
