Dancing in the seats
As The Masked Dancer kicks off for a second series, the show’s panellists and host chat about the new contenders
Agrown adult jumping about on stage dressed as a pair of scissors? It can only mean one thing – The Masked Dancer is back and, if it’s possible, the masks are whackier and funnier than ever.
Twelve celebrities have once again disguised themselves behind the elaborate costumes and will showcase their epic dance moves for the panel of celebrity judges whose job it is to guess who they are.
Host Joel Dommett is back and there’s also a new face on the panel (replacing Mo Gilligan, who’s on tour) – none other than football legend Peter Crouch.
Here, Joel, Davina McCall, Oti Mabuse, Jonathan Ross and Peter talk about the new “mad series” as they open up about wardrobe malfunctions, favourite contestants and their varied judging techniques…
Hi, everyone! What can you tell us about the new series?
Joel: There are some mad characters. What I love about The Masked Dancer is that it’s on a level of weirdness that has been stepped up a notch. We have way more dancers than we’ve had before, way more clues. I think we’ve gone so bizarre, the spectacle of it is just mad and the level of dancing is way better than it was in the first series. Jonathan: This is the first time we’ve had a dancing duet. There’s a couple dancing together. So, we’re struggling to work out if they’re a couple in real life or they have just been put together for the show. Davina: It makes you realise how many different
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forms of couples there can be, like presenting couples or acting couples. It’s relentless.
Peter, you’re new on the panel. What was the appeal for you?
Peter: My kids absolutely love it and they loved The Masked Singer too. I played for England, but the only thing they ask me about my career is this
show, nothing about football. They love trying to guess who’s behind the mask. They met some of the characters when they came down to see the show and they still talk about it now. Pearly King was their favourite – he’s such a character.
What has it been like to be the new boy on the Masked Dancer panel?
Peter: It is very different to what I’ve previously done for most of my life. I’ve been used to being a substitute for a little bit at the end of my career, so I’m just trying to make an impact. Joel: I’ll speak on Peter’s behalf. I think he’s just been so brilliant, hasn’t he? It looks so easy for him. He’s really not afraid to get involved and have a lot of fun. He’s just been a wonderful panellist. We get to see him do the robot too! Jonathan: If he wasn’t on the panel, we would always be guessing he was in one of the costumes. His name came up almost every time there’s anyone above six foot.
Does it help to judge when you have a trained eye as a professional dancer, Oti?
Oti: Not at all! I was thinking about this – Jonathan has it better. He has The Jonathan Ross Show so he knows about their careers, about them growing up. He has talked to them about their lives and they tell you what they did when they were kids and all their achievements.
Are there any characters who have really stood out?
Davina: Yes, Scissors! To be able to be in a costume – and basically your head is the handles of the scissors – and to give us all goosebumps, that is amazing.
Jonathan: There was a really emotional slow dance but it was kind of poetic and it told a story.
Peter: Scissors’ performance was absolutely stunning. I also think Burger King was good.
Joel: I really like Pig. Pig is so endearing – children will love Pig. But they are all great because they all do different things.
Do you ever see costume malfunctions on the show?
Davina: Never. I mean they might experience it themselves, but we’ve never seen one. Jonathan: Joel’s had a costume malfunction. One of the suits had two planets on it and they made it look like a solar system and he put the planets in a place where once you see them, it’s hard not to keep looking at them. It really does look like he’s not wearing trousers.
How do you guys all prepare?
Davina: I’m ashamed to say that I do look at magazines and I wonder if they [the celebrities] would go on the show. But you know my memory is so poor, I’ll read and I think, ‘They might do it,’ and then literally four minutes later, I’ve forgotten who they are. So, I’m the perfect person to be on the panel as I enjoy the whole process of guessing but I never get it. Jonathan: Rita [Ora] went into a special training camp for The Masked Singer. I like to have an incredibly long list of every famous person I can think of in the entire history of entertainment. Anyone who looks vaguely like someone, I followed up on.
The only thing my kids ask me about my career is this show. Nothing about football. Peter Crouch
For your head to be the handles of scissors – and to give us all goosebumps. Amazing. Davina McCall