By Katie Rosseinsky

Published: Saturday, 07 January 2023 at 12:00 am


A new year means a brand new season of The Masked Singer, with 12 more celebrities donning some truly outlandish costumes and showing off their singing abilities (or, let’s face it, total lack thereof).

The UK version of the South Korean TV format may now be in its fourth edition, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the creative minds behind the show’s jaw-dropping outfits are running out of ideas – precisely the opposite. 

This year’s Masked Singer contestants are arguably some of the most weird and wonderful to take the stage yet – and who could be better proof of this than Jacket Potato, an all-singing, all-dancing spud dressed up in a silver foil jumpsuit, gold sunglasses and a baked bean-patterned scarf? 

This carbohydrate-inspired creation will be going up against the likes of Fawn, Piece of Cake, Rhino, Pigeon and Rubbish when they make their Masked Singer debut on Saturday evening.

This eclectic line-up makes up the second batch of contestants to perform for the celebrity panel, after Cat & Mouse, Otter, Ghost, Jellyfish, Knitting and Phoenix took to the stage on New Year’s Day. 

It’ll be up to panellists Davina McCall, Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan and Rita Ora to attempt to work out the identity of the star hiding behind Jacket Potato’s hilarious get-up – and viewers at home can play along, too (because we all know that half of the fun of the show is keeping up with all the outlandish theories on social media).

Here’s what you need to know about Jacket Potato before their opening performance.

Who is Jacket Potato? Clues, guesses and songs

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The cast of The Masked Singer season 4.
©ITV Plc/Bandicoot TV

The team behind The Masked Singer work seriously hard to protect the identities of the celebrity contestants every year, meaning that very few clues are released in advance of each character’s first performance. 

We’ll receive our first set of hints about who’s hiding behind Jacket Potato’s outfit when they perform for the first time on Saturday night – and their choice of song could provide some nudges in the right direction, too. We’ll keep you updated as soon as the first clues drop. 

Until then, all we have to go off is the costume itself – and the fact that “their singing is sure to butter you up”, according to ITV. There’s a sticker on Jacket Potato’s silver suit which reads “Wild Hog Dairy”, so could they be a star who owns their own farm? Or is baked potato fan (and former Les Miserables star) Matt Lucas trying to pull off a double bluff by choosing an alter ego that seems almost too obvious?

What time is The Masked Singer on?

The second instalment of The Masked Singer will air on Saturday 7th January at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Joining Jacket Potato will be five other eccentric characters, who’ll be vying to impress the celebrity panel with their musical abilities: Rhino, Rubbish, Pigeon, Fawn and Piece of Cake.

At the end of the show, one singer will have their identity revealed. Last week, Chris Kamara became the first star to be unmasked.

The Masked Singer airs on 7th January at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide for more to watch.

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