The first series of the British version of The Masked Dancer premiered on ITV on 29 May 2021, and concluded on 5 June 2021. The series was won by Olympic gymnast Louis Smith as "Carwash", with actress/dancer Bonnie Langford finishing second as "Squirrel", and singer Howard Donald placing third as "Zip".
| The Masked Dancer | |
|---|---|
| Series 1 | |
| Starring | |
| Hosted by | Joel Dommett |
| No. of contestants | 12 |
| Winner | Louis Smith as "Carwash" |
| Runner-up | Bonnie Langford as "Squirrel" |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 29 May – 5 June 2021 |
| Series chronology | |
Production
editOn 4 March 2021, it was announced that ITV were producing a local version of the American television dancing competition The Masked Dancer following the success of its sister show The Masked Singer.[1] The series consisted of 12 contestants competing through seven episodes.[2] The series was commissioned as a replacement in the spring schedule for Britain's Got Talent, which had its upcoming fifteenth series postponed until 2022 due to health and safety concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4] The show premiered on 29 May 2021.[5][6]
Panellists and host
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Following the announcement of the series, it was confirmed by ITV that the panel would consist of presenter and comedian Jonathan Ross, television presenter Davina McCall, and comedian Mo Gilligan, who are all panellists on The Masked Singer, along with Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse. It was also confirmed that Joel Dommett would host the show.[1]
Guest panellists included David Walliams in the fifth episode, John Bishop in the sixth episode, and Holly Willoughby in the seventh episode.[7][8]
Contestants
editOne of the shows sponsors, Lidl, had a product placement mask known as "Goose", who was unmasked to be Love Island winner Dani Dyer.[9]
| Stage name[10] | Celebrity | Occupation(s) | Episodes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Carwash | Louis Smith | Olympic gymnast | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | RISK | WINNER | |||
| Squirrel | Bonnie Langford | Actress/dancer | RISK | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | RUNNER-UP | |||
| Zip | Howard Donald | Singer | WIN | SAFE | RISK | SAFE | THIRD | |||
| Scarecrow | Tamzin Outhwaite | Actress | WIN | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | |||
| Frog | Kelly Brook | Model/actress | RISK | RISK | SAFE | OUT | ||||
| Knickerbocker Glory | Craig Revel Horwood | Dancer/TV judge | RISK | RISK | SAFE | OUT | ||||
| Llama | Zoe Ball | DJ/TV presenter | WIN | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Beagle | Christopher Dean | Olympic ice dancer | WIN | SAFE | OUT | |||||
| Rubber Chicken | Eddie the Eagle | Olympic ski-jumper | WIN | OUT | ||||||
| Beetroot | Dita Von Teese | Burlesque dancer | RISK | OUT | ||||||
| Flamingo | Louise Redknapp | Singer | OUT | |||||||
| Viper | Jordan Banjo | Dancer | OUT | |||||||
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Louise Redknapp ("Flamingo"), Dita Von Teese ("Beetroot"), Eddie the Eagle ("Rubber Chicken"), Christopher Dean ("Beagle"), Zoe Ball ("Llama"), Craig Revel Horwood ("Knickerbocker Glory"), Kelly Brook ("Frog"), Tamzin Outhwaite ("Scarecrow"), Howard Donald ("Zip"), Bonnie Langford ("Squirrel"), and Louis Smith ("Carwash")
Episodes
editEpisode 1 (29 May)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zip | "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang/"Good Times" by Chic | undisclosed | WIN |
| 2 | Knickerbocker Glory | "Telephone" by Lady Gaga & Beyoncé | undisclosed | RISK |
| 3 | Beetroot | "I Put a Spell on You" by Annie Lennox | undisclosed | RISK |
| 4 | Llama | "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones | undisclosed | WIN |
| 5 | Viper | "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz | Jordan Banjo | OUT |
| 6 | Scarecrow | "September" by Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick | undisclosed | WIN |
Episode 2 (30 May)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Squirrel | "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift | undisclosed | RISK |
| 2 | Carwash | "Car Wash" by Christina Aguilera feat. Missy Elliott | undisclosed | WIN |
| 3 | Flamingo | "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, Pink & Missy Elliott | Louise Redknapp | OUT |
| 4 | Rubber Chicken | "Hippy Hippy Shake" by The Swinging Blue Jeans | undisclosed | WIN |
| 5 | Frog | "Boom! Shake the Room" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince | undisclosed | RISK |
| 6 | Beagle | "Bang Bang" by will.i.am | undisclosed | WIN |
Episode 3 (31 May)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knickerbocker Glory | "All That Jazz" by Liza Minnelli | RISK | |
| 2 | Llama | "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish | SAFE | |
| 3 | Scarecrow | "Timber" by Pitbull feat. Kesha | SAFE | |
| 4 | Beetroot | "It's My Party" by Lesley Gore | RISK | |
| 5 | Zip | "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang | SAFE | |
| Dance-Off | Identity | Result | ||
| 1 | Knickerbocker Glory | "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 2 | Beetroot | "Ex's & Oh's" by Elle King | Dita Von Teese | OUT |
Episode 4 (1 June)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carwash | "You're the One That I Want"/"Greased Lightnin'"/"Born to Hand Jive" from Grease | SAFE | |
| 2 | Rubber Chicken | "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of...)" by Lou Bega | RISK | |
| 3 | Frog | "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole | RISK | |
| 4 | Beagle | "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley | SAFE | |
| 5 | Squirrel | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" by Beyoncé | SAFE | |
| Dance-Off | Identity | Result | ||
| 1 | Rubber Chicken | "Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA | Eddie the Eagle | OUT |
| 2 | Frog | "Hey Ya!" by Outkast | undisclosed | SAFE |
Episode 5 (3 June)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frog | "Little Shop of Horrors" from Little Shop of Horrors | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 2 | Beagle | "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra | Christopher Dean | OUT |
| 3 | Carwash | "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 4 | Scarecrow | "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 5 | Squirrel | "Scream" by Usher | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 6 | Zip | "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay | undisclosed | RISK |
| 7 | Llama | "You Never Can Tell" by Chuck Berry | Zoe Ball | OUT |
| 8 | Knickerbocker Glory | "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels" by Todrick Hall | undisclosed | SAFE |
Episode 6: Semi-final (4 June)
edit| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carwash | "Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' in the Rain | undisclosed | RISK |
| 2 | Frog | "Shout Out to My Ex" by Little Mix | undisclosed | RISK |
| 3 | Squirrel | "Havana" by Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 4 | Zip | "Use It Up and Wear It Out" by Odyssey | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 5 | Knickerbocker Glory | "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee/"Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran | Craig Revel Horwood | OUT |
| 6 | Scarecrow | "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC | undisclosed | SAFE |
| Dance-Off | Identity | Result | ||
| 1 | Carwash | "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 2 | Frog | "One Way or Another" by Blondie | Kelly Brook | OUT |
Episode 7: Final (5 June)
editGroup number: "Dancing in the Street" by Marvin Gaye
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scarecrow | "Come Alive" from The Greatest Showman | Tamzin Outhwaite | OUT |
| 2 | Zip | "Super Freak" by Rick James | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 3 | Squirrel | "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj | undisclosed | SAFE |
| 4 | Carwash | "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock | undisclosed | SAFE |
| # | Stage name | Song | Identity | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zip | "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang/"Good Times" by Chic | Howard Donald | THIRD PLACE |
| 2 | Squirrel | "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift | Bonnie Langford | RUNNER-UP |
| 3 | Carwash | "You're the One That I Want"/"Greased Lightnin'"/"Born to Hand Jive" from Grease | Louis Smith | WINNER |
Ratings
editOfficial ratings are taken from BARB, utilising the four-screen dashboard which includes viewers who watched the programme on laptops, smartphones, and tablets within 28 days of the original broadcast.[11]
| Episode | Date | Official 28 day rating (millions) |
Weekly rank for ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 May | 4.02 | 15 |
| 2 | 30 May | — | Outside top 15 |
| 3 | 31 May | 3.67 | 14 |
| 4 | 1 June | 3.41 | 15 |
| 5 | 3 June | 3.75 | 13 |
| 6 | 4 June | 3.98 | 12 |
| 7 | 5 June | 4.65 | 7 |
References
edit- ^ a b "ITV commissions The Masked Dancer" (Press release). ITV. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021 – via ITV Press Centre.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (4 March 2021). "ITV Unveils The Masked Dancer After Hit Show The Masked Singer". Variety. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ Jake Kanter (4 March 2021). "ITV Orders The Masked Dancer Following The Success Of The Masked Singer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ "Britain's Got Talent Series 15 Postponed 'til 2022". ITV. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
- ^ Josh Darvill (19 May 2021). "The Masked Dancer start date and first look revealed!". TellyMix. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Lauren Morris (18 May 2021). "The Masked Dancer release date: judges, contestants, clues and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Rose Hill (13 May 2021). "David Walliams joins Masked Dancer panel as show replaces Britain's Got Talent". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ^ Josh Darvill (25 May 2021). "John Bishop, David Walliams and Holly Willoughby join The Masked Dancer as guest panellists". TellyMix. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ LidlGB (5 June 2021). "@LidlGB on Twitter: It's the day you have been waiting for!! It's time for Goose to TAKE IT OFF!". Twitter. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ Justin Harp (7 May 2021). "The Masked Dancer UK unveils cast for series 1 in first-look photos". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Most viewed programmes". BARB. Retrieved 13 October 2021.