Celebrity judges Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross all once again returned to try and guess the identity of several outlandish characters.
Jennifer Saunders joined them as a guest judge for the ‘School Disco’ special, replacing the absent Rita Ora.
The episode saw the characters of Owl, Piranha, Air Fryer, Bubble Tea and Eiffel Tower competing against each other, with x being eliminated.
Let’s dis-GO! 🪩✨ What a GREAT start to the show! 🎭✨ #MaskedSingerUK pic.twitter.com/RJp9JCtgs6
— #MaskedSingerUK (@MaskedSingerUK) January 20, 2024
Who was eliminated from The Masked Singer 2024?
Owl and Bubble Tea had to compete against each other after the initial performances with Eiffel Tower, Piranha and Air Fryer making it through to the next stage.
In the final stand-off Owl impressed the judges the most so they were saved, meaning Bubble Tea had to be unmasked.
Julia Sawalha was revealed to be the person behind Bubble Tea, who was well-known for playing Saffy on Absolutely Fabulous.
It was also a special moment for Saunders, as she played Sawalha’s mother Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon on the sitcom.
The 55-year-old Sawalha has also appeared in the television miniseries of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in 1995 as Lydia Bennet and provided the voice of Ginger in Chicken Run.
This SIP has sailed! WELL DONE #BUBBLETEA! you were ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS Sip sip hooray! #MaskedSingerUK 🎭 pic.twitter.com/Jbe6aO7zUd
— #MaskedSingerUK (@MaskedSingerUK) January 20, 2024
Is Rita Ora Maypole on The Masked Singer 2024?
Despite being among the core judges on The Masked Singer, Rita Ora has so far appeared on one episode of the fifth series.
This was during episode two, with several guest judges replacing her for the other episodes including Charlie Simpson and Olly Murs.
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Some viewers have theorised she might be the character of Maypole, as they only appeared when Ora was not there.
However, ITV has said she has just had commitments in the United States which has caused her to not be available for most of the series so far.
The Masked Singer airs on ITV1, STV and ITVX every Saturday from around 7pm.
