ThinkThe Masked Singer is mad?Wait till they screen The Masked DANCER!
IT’Sthe‘bonkers’familyshowthathasstormedtheSaturdaynightprimetimeTVschedules.
NowITVbosseshopetorepli - catethesuccessofTheMasked
Singerwithadanceversionoftheirratingshit,TheMailonSundaycanreveal.ITV’ sHeadofEnter - tainmentKatieRawcliffeisintalkstobuytherightstoscreentheUSfor - matTheMaskedDancerintheUK.
ITV’sMaskedSingerhastrounced BBC1rivalTheGreatestDancer’ sviewingfigureswith6.5 milliontuninginforthefirstepisode.
Viewershavewatchedwithgleeas panellistsRitaOraandJonathanRosstrytoguesstheidentitiesofsinging celebritieshiddenbyeye-catchingcostumes,withapharaohmaskcon - cealingformerHomeSecretaryAlanJohnsonandatreehidingex-footballstarTeddySheringham.
AchannelinsidertoldTheMailon Sunday:‘EveryoneatITVisthrilled withhowsuccessfulTheMasked Singerhasbeen,soitseemsanobrainertobuyinasequel.’
TheMaskedDancer,inwhichcelebritiesperformuniquedancesinanoutfitthathidestheiridentities,started offasaspoofonTheEllenDeGeneresShowintheUSshortlyafterseason oneoftheAmericanversionofThe MaskedSinger,whichoriginatedin SouthKorea,waslaunchedlastJanu - arybytheFoxnetwork.
Meanwhile,theheadcostumemakerofITV’ sTheMaskedSingerhas revealedthattheshow’ s12outfits, whichincludeanoctopusanduni - corn,took5,000manhourstomake.
TimSimpson,whoisjustoneofsix people to know who the celebritieswearing the costumes are beforetheir identities are revealed ontheshow,spentmorethanayearcreatingthem.
Thezoologygraduatesaid:‘Iwasn’tgivenanynameswhenIwasmaking thecostumes.Iwasinsteadgiven theirmeasurementsandusedmod - els.ButIwastherewhentheywere fitted.Unicornwouldn’tstoprunningupanddown.Itwasajoytosee.’