The Masked Singer UK made its highly anticipated return on Saturday night, with the launch of its seventh series immediately setting social media alight.
Joel Dommett resumed hosting duties alongside judges Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan and Maya Jama, as a brand-new batch of celebrity contestants took to the stage in elaborate disguises.
This year’s 12 costumes were revealed as Moth, Can of Worms, Red Panda, Conkers, Arctic Fox, Toastie, Monkey Business, Yak, Sloth, Gargoyle, Disc Jockey and Teabag.
Moth opened the series with a powerful rendition of Mariah Carey’s 1993 ballad Hero, delivering vocals that left Davina McCall visibly emotional and prompted Maya Jama to admit she had “goosebumps”.
ITV The Masked Singer judges 2026
|ITV
Almost instantly, viewers became convinced they knew exactly who was behind the mask.
Social media platform X was flooded with confident claims that Sugababes star Keisha Buchanan was the singer, with many insisting her distinctive voice was unmistakable.
“Moth is Keisha Buchanan from Sugababes, surely!?” one viewer wrote, while another added: “Got Moth fairly quick. One of the most gifted and under appreciated voices of the last 25 years. Keisha Buchanan from the Sugababes.”
Others echoed the sentiment, with one post reading: “We see you Keisha Buchanan as Moth, I know that voice." Another stated: “Moth sounds like Keisha Buchanan from Sugababes.”
Moth appeared in the first episode of the new season
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As per the show’s format, the performance was accompanied by a series of cryptic clues, delivered through a short film and narrated hints designed to mislead both judges and viewers.
Among the phrases that caught fans’ attention were: “It’s time for me to face the music,” and “I’ve grown bigger than my wildest dreams.”
Moth also listed “grace, power and presence” as essential qualities, while stating she had “served in the West”, interpreted by many as a reference to the West End.
Visual clues included a carrot, a candlestick, a framed photo of comedian Ronnie Corbett and a blue jaybird, while Moth spoke throughout in a noticeably posh accent.
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The judges did not include Keisha Buchanan in their lineup of guesses
|ITV
One viewer tied the clues together, writing on X: “Sugababes were formed by Ron Tom, hence Ronnie Corbett. They were so young when they started, we’ve seen her grow from larva to moth. ‘Returned to her rightful field’ when they reformed. Plus that voice!”
Despite the strong public consensus, the judging panel offered a range of alternative guesses.
Jonathan Ross suggested Jessie J, Mo Gilligan put forward Paloma Faith, while Maya Jama speculated the singer could be X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.
Davina McCall took a different approach, proposing Sixteen Candles actress Molly Ringwald.
Elsewhere, some viewers suggested Moth could be former Sugababes member Mutya Buena or Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
The night’s first elimination saw The One Show presenter Alex Jones unmasked as Disc Jockey after landing in the bottom two alongside Gargoyle.
The judges chose to save Gargoyle, making Jones the first celebrity to exit series seven.
The episode also saw the first Masked Singer Band revealed, with Goldfish performing alongside backing group No Trout.
The mystery was quickly solved when Goldfish was unmasked as chart-topping singer Anne-Marie.
Mr Dommett said the new band format brought fresh energy to the show, adding: “We’ve never done it before and it just gives it so much energy in the room.”
Mr Ross praised the faster pace of the series, noting: “We can barely keep up. Every week, we’ve barely got time to guess one and the mask’s off!”
Ms McCall described the new run as feeling “fresh”, teasing plenty more surprises still to come.