Masked Singer celebs gagged by bosses in social media crackdown to avoid leaks

The Masked Singer bosses have launched a social media crackdown.

They fear celebs posting stuff online will mean fans can work out they are taking part in the ITV show.

Executive producer Daniel Nettleton said: “We had Ne-Yo posting a picture of himself in London on Instagram around the time we were filming the second series. And Dita Von Teese was pictured in London at the time of filming.

“People picked those things up and it was discussed on all the forums. It’s that kind of thing we have to keep a lid on.

“We tell them, ‘If you’re over here from another country, stop posting on Instagram!’”

Bosses go all out to keep the identities of contestants secret because if they get leaked it ruins the show.

Daniel said: “With shows like I’m A Celebrity, people want to know which celebs will be doing it.

“But with Masked Singer the whole purpose is that it’s a guessing game. So if someone ruins that, they won’t be popular.”

The show – based on South Korean series King of Mask Singer – premiered in the UK in January 2020 and was an instant hit.

The first series saw Hollywood actor Ken Jeong, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Jonathan Ross come together as the judging panel.

The fun costumes included Butterfly, Chameleon, Unicorn, Octopus and eventual winner Queen Bee, who was unmasked to be Girls Aloud singer Nicola Roberts.

This year, comedian Mo Gilligan replaced Ken on the judging panel, as he was unable to travel to the UK due to Covid restrictions.

The final four contestants all turned out to be professional singers – though the first two eliminated were also pop stars.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Mel B were the first two out, while Gabrielle, Aston Merrygold and Ne-Yo made it to the final four, with Joss Stone winning as the Sausage.

The 2022 series will see this year's judging panel return as they try to figure out who is behind costumes including Traffic Cone, Snow Leopard, Mushroom, Poodle, Doughnuts, Chandelier and Firework.

The new series starts on New Year’s Day at 7pm on ITV

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