Saturday evenings spent shouting “Take it off!” at the TV screen have returned and, even more than before, this line-up of celebrity contestants in The Masked Singer season 4 has kept viewers guessing.
While many of the masked individuals remain a mystery for now, more than half of viewers agree on a theory about Phoenix, according to a RadioTimes.com poll.
The performer first impressed audiences with a jazz rendition of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky in an American accent which led to judge Jonathan Ross guessing that David Tennant was behind the mask and the former Doctor Who star is a fan of the show, according to Ross.
After last night’s (Saturday 14th January) performance of Loco in Acapulco by The Four Tops, viewers were inclined to agree with Ross’ first guess of Tennant.
Ross had previously noted that Phoenix walks in a similar manner to Tennant, and The Masked Singer fans seem to have got on board with his suggestion. Fans have also been quick to point out that references to reincarnation in Phoenix’s VT could be a nod to his role in Doctor Who, which Tennant is set to reprise later this year.
Similarly, the nod to investigation could be a link to his character in Broadchurch, DI Alec Hardy.
Although it’s been a busy few months for Tennant having starred in a West End show and working on new episodes of Doctor Who, could he have had the time to also dust off his vocal chords for some musical performances? Viewers certainly think so. Our Twitter poll found that just over half of respondents said they thought Tennant was the true identity of Phoenix.
TV presenter Stephen Mulhern was the next most popular guess, snagging 18.5 percent of the votes.
The Masked Singer’s judging panel have also named Alfie Allen and Robbie Williams as possibilities, although these stars have proven less popular, with only 10.9 and 12 percent of the vote share respectively.
Who is Phoenix? 🔥 #MaskedSingerUK
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) January 14, 2023
But outside of the poll, many think that fans have missed a major clue about Phoenix’s true identity – which appears to show the character is actually Ricky Wilson. RadioTimes.com‘s Associate Editor Helen Daly highlighted a ‘Doctor Who audition tape‘ posted by the Kaiser Chiefs, where the frontman is seen hilariously pretending to be the Doctor.
Ok I’m now watching #TheMaskedSinger and I’m gonna say it: Phoenix is definitely Ricky Wilson. https://t.co/P1OnG748b8
— Helen Daly (@02_HD) January 14, 2023
Could this be the biggest clue of all about Phoenix’s identity? Fans have also pointed out that Wilson was also in a stage production of War of the Worlds, with one viewer stating: “Phoenix is Ricky Wilson. One of their albums had a stick of rock on the cover, they’re named after a football team, and I’m fairly sure he was in War of the Worlds at one point #MaskedSingerUK.”
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Another contestant that has kept viewers guessing has been Otter, who viewers previously thought was Kate Bush after initially stating that they are known for their resilience. Could it be pointing at well-known track Running Up That Hill?
But now, fans are reconsidering Bush as the true identity of Otter after the character used a catchphrase at the end of their performance last night. Otter had performed Reflection from Disney movie Mulan but after leaving the stage, had used the iconic line.
Viewers say the clue points to comedian and Doctor Who companion Catherine Tate. One wrote: “Otter’s end quote. ‘Am I bothered though’ makes me think Catherine Tate”.
In another RadioTimes.com poll, Tate hasn’t proven to be the most popular guess for Otter, as more than half of respondents think it could be Mel Giedroyc. The comedian and former host of The Great British Bake Off left a clue saying that they were “butter-fingered around chocolate”, which Twitter users feel could be reference to the time that Mel ate a contestant’s chocolate in the competition.
Who is Otter? 🦦 #MaskedSingerUK
— Radio Times (@RadioTimes) January 14, 2023
Coming in second, 27.4 percent of viewers feel like Tate could very well be Otter, while less popular picks Zoë Wanamaker and Fiona Shaw come in at 7.5 and 6.6 percent respectively.
The most recent elimination from the new season of The Masked Singer were Cat & Mouse, the competition’s first double act, who were revealed to be Martin and Shirlie Kemp.
The Masked Singer continues on ITV at 7pm on Saturday 14th January 2023. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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