The Masked Singer: Most Popular Fan Theories And Rumours

A new year means a brand new series of the only show on telly where you can see an oversized recycling bin performing in a sing-off with an anthropomorphised pile of yarn or a surprisingly flirtatious slab of dessert.

Yes, The Masked Singer is back for a fourth season.

So far, viewers have been introduced to six of the weird and wonderful characters hoping to follow in the footsteps of former champions Sausage, Panda and Queen Bee, with Ghost eventually becoming the first to be unmasked as football legend Chris Kamara.

But what about the five characters still in the running?

Well, here are all the fan theories so far about who the celebrities underneath the masks could be…

We’re starting with Knitting because she’s actually the one we’re the most convinced about.

Although the judges originally offered up names like Jane Horrocks, Samantha Barks and AJ Odudu, we’re going to go with our instinct and say we’re pretty sure it’s Claire Richards (aka Claire from Steps) underneath all that wool.

We counted references to two Steps songs in her first appearance, beginning with the solitary magpie in her VT (One For Sorrow) and ending with her comment about “counting 26” (which just happens to be the total of 5, 6, 7 and 8).

Knitting also told us she was crafty, with Claire previously appearing on a celebrity edition of the Great British Sewing Bee.

And, oh yeah, there’s the fact that Knitting’s voice sounds just like Claire’s.

Clearly we’re not the only ones who think so, either…

…even if the woman herself seems to be trying to throw us off the scent…

As soon as we heard Jellyfish sing, we knew her voice sounded familiar, and we think we might have worked out why.

Having now played it back a few times, the aquatic performer’s rendition of Sweet Child O’ Mine puts us in mind of Anastacia (albeit an Anastacia trying to go easy on the Anastacia-isms), and there are quite a few clues to back it up, too.

Jellyfish commented that she’d won a competition in the past, with Anastacia recently coming out on top in the Australian version of The Masked Singer.

She also offered up a riddle about a “funny animation”, and while we don’t recall Anastacia ever lending her voice to a cartoon, Jellyfish could have been referring to the 1997 film Anastasia.

And while the word “me” written in shells left many wondering if there was a famous Michelle under that aquatic costume, it’s worth pointing out that Anastacia is BFFs with Drag Race icon Michelle Visage.

Even the song choice could be a giveaway, as the I’m Outta Love singer performed Sweet Child O Mine on her latest UK tour.

Another popular name in the frame is Amber Riley, based on Jellyfish’s voice and the fact the Glee star previously won another international season of The Masked Singer.

Here are some of the other theories going round on Twitter right now…

This year saw the introduction of The Masked Singer’s first ever double act in the form of Cat & Mouse.

After the duo’s first performance, some members of the panel were convinced it was Emma Bunton and Jade Jones underneath the masks, especially after a reference to “jade” in their riddle and a line-up of spices in their VT.

For the time being, that’s our leading theory, our only drawback being that we’re not sure ITV would give the answer away in the first episode.

Here’s what else people are saying on Twitter…

As with Cat & Mouse, the judges’ guess of David Tennant is our current leading theory for Phoenix – although, again, we’re not sure why ITV would put his name out there so early on.

The voice doesn’t sound unlike David’s, and Phoenix is clearly on the tall side, with the actor himself standing at over six feet.

Phoenix commented that they were good at solving mysteries (David, of course, appeared in Broadchurch after leaving Doctor Who), although we’re stumped on what the character’s clue that he’d “been a catchphrase” might refer to, other than his own catchphrase from his time on Doctor Who.

Another popular theory for Phoenix is Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs fame, with many claiming the voice sounds like the former Voice coach.

However, we’ll have to wait for more clues to work out who’s under the fiery guise…

We’ve left Otter until last because while the current theory is the most unlikely on our list, it’s also our favourite. Because it involves Kate Bush.

At first, the “Kate Bush on The Masked Singer” theory is an easy one to dismiss. First of all, she’s famously private, and hasn’t done any telly at all for the last 30 years, including when she’s had albums and a live residency to flog, so it’s not likely she’d choose now to don an oversized novelty costume and sing a cover of the Baywatch theme tune for the nation, is it?

Then there’s the fact she’s one of the most iconic British singers of all time, so why would she of all people feel the need to sign up for something like The Masked Singer (no offence, Masked Singer, we love you, never change).

But then… you start to read about Otter’s clues. And there’s no denying that they do all point in the same direction. That direction being… up a certain hill…

Surely not. But also… maybe?

The Masked Singer airs on Saturday nights on ITV.