The Masked Singer / The Voice 2020 UK

lol will.i.am fucks up his first line in the group song

Ha, I thought Lenny Henry at the time, it sounded just like him. Had recently watched two things with him in though so thought perhaps I was influenced by that!
I guessed David James for clock just from the clues but don't really care.

Didn't get the revealed one at all, thought it was someone like Sarah Parrish

Might be because they kept going on about Jon Thompson last series, but I thought him for Bush Baby.
Viking has really thrown me.

I thought it was Jamelia, just because I remembered a story about her stealing toilet roll from George Michael's house.

I think Bush Baby is Craig Charles. I don't have many other thoughts, other than that I'm still fuming they threw SEB off because I think a whole series of her doing disco classics would have been ace.

Mates of mine think Professor Brian Cox for Viking, even though none of the clues make sense.

Grandfather Clock is 100% David James

Actually, I've just remembered they were playing Terry & June music, so it's probably Terry Venables.

surprised Seahorse picked such a weak song (although I've no idea how much input they have).
glad they are trying to hide their accents a bit more.
Apparently in the first ep the judges made correct guesses re Alien but it got cut

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/sophie-ellis-bextor-the-masked-singer-b1779859.html?

I'm still fuming they threw SEB off because I think a whole series of her doing disco classics would have been ace

I assume you've seen her Instagram Kitchen Disco series

There was a specific word that Harlequin used that made me think it was Gabrielle.

Viking separating out King seems too much of a clue and if there's a visual clue too from his appearance could it be yer man King from the Hairy Bikers?

Gabrielle is a solid guess

I assume you've seen her Instagram Kitchen Disco series

Yeah, which is why I thought more of that sort of thing on prime time while dressed as a giant alien would be fun.

Last night was the first time I watched it. Have caught up with last week and confused by most of them or there are too many options.

Since S1 is on ITV Hub I am wading into that since I only really know who the winner was and having seen her intro VT I would never have got it as there were *no* clues in it. It's totally her voice though.

I wouldn't have gotten this week's one, no idea she was that good at the singing. Kind of a shame she went.
I *did* think of the relevant movie when those clues came up AND I said that 'guessed' was David Gest.

Sheridan Smith is a good guess for Sausage, but the '2 pints' clue seemed too straightforward for this stage - they do seem to stick to very obscure clues at the early stage (although I think they mentioned S E-B's album title, not that I got it from that). E.g. no obvious Stenders clues for Swan.

Dragon is baffling me.

Since Mick Hucknall was mentioned I'm sure I heard his Radio-2-omnipresent voice in both Robin and Badger (I don't think either of those is him though? - possibly Mark Owen or similar for Badger?)

Watching the extra show thing in ITV hub, it's painful but they do say that the celebs choose their costume. And they try not to put the obvious clues early on. Yes I'm bored.

My Dragon guess is Sue Perkins. I'm wholly behind the Sheridan Smith guess for Sausage.

Swan is bugging me, I can only hear it being Shania Twain. Wonder if it could be someone like Anastacia or even Tiffany? Can't be bothered remembering all the clues.

― kinder, Wednesday, December 30, 2020 11:17 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

lol I forgot I said this. I meant 80s Tiffany though.
Last week I said there was no way Seahorse was Mel B.

I was pretty sure it was one of Kimberley Wyatt/Ashley Roberts and was convincing myself they were dancer's legs during the sing-off.

Was sure Robin was Naseem Hamed last week but now clueless.

Was sure Sausage was Stacey Solomon but Sheridan Smith is as good a guess.

Totally want to say Badger is Carl Fogarty just because of the bike gear and the hat with corks pointing to I'm A Celebrity but it seems quite unlikely.

We were thinking Olly Murs for various blokes this week, and Sheridan Smith for various females.

OK back next week then.

It is a testament to how much I enjoy the general concept of this show that I am willing to tolerate both Joel Dommett's general rubbishness and the entire existence of Rita Ora.

Judicious use of the ff> is key

again I cannot recommend enough just watching the performances on Youtube and having the whole thing done in ten mins

Oh yeah, I record and ff, but still occasionally listen to the insanity from the panel. Can't say I'm missing Ken Jeong in any way.

Between TMS and The Voice last night there was about 70 minutes of content, with the rest being filler and adverts. TMS's VTs are at least more tolerable because they are 'clue packages' (what a stupid term) for the game of trying to figure out who the singers are (I figured out who Swan was based on the pub in her last VT). The VTs on The Voice are far more filler-y though - like I don't care that your family support you, good for you.

Joel Dommett's general rubbishness

Whoever's writing his puns for him hit the first reasonable one ever with "hedge of your seat".

Bear in mind they use stand-ins for the inserty bits.

My sister's friend does various walkons for "Eastenders", etc. She got offered the part of "Seahorse" but got bounced in favour of someone else. Then that person got sick so they asked her back on the day of filming (last Nov). Then the other person got better. Obviously she was gutted as the fee was pretty decent.

Anyway, my sister (who hasn't watched the show) told me all this yesterday but had suggested that the job involved the dance on stage and the vocal was effectively mimed to. Like, everything except for the unmasking. I told her that was highly unlikely...

omg, lockdown has driven me to watch s4 of the USA Masked Singer from last Autumn (I didn't bother with earlier ones as looked up the contestants and didn't know half of them). I'm trying to watch on Youtube while avoiding the 'unmasking' headshots and video titles. Anyway, the clue packages are shite, like bad Flash animation, but there's a double one - 2 owls in an egg wtf. I know who Sun is but no-one else (yet).

End of ep 2, someone unmasks themselves, it's a shambles, not sure if scripted or not. Will watch more anon.

4 eps in to the US version and there have been two performances completely cut out of Youtube, presumably due to copyright. The US panel don't get a say in who goes, it's all audience voting. But I've just realised there might not even be a studio audience, think the audience reaction shots are stock shots from previous series? So dunno how that all works. Ken Jeong is even worse on this version.

With a few exceptions, the UK's costumes are better and generally our show is more theatrical.

The previews/ads are trying to have it both ways..

"Oh is it Elton John? / Helen Mirren/ Idris Elba?"

These people are not on this show.

― Mark G, Sunday, 5 January 2020 20:59 (one year ago)

No Rita, it's still not going to be Idris Elba.

The UK one tonight felt like a refreshing glass of water after the awful US ones.
Wasn't really expecting this one but glad he's out.
Viking has this really flat voice and I can't shake the feeling it sounds like Frankie Boyle although if it is him he's hiding his accent very well.

Btw I got to ep 5 of the US one and they introduced a whole new 5 or 6 characters, and so far most of the unmaskings have been people I am not familiar with. I'll slog away with it though.

I got totally wrong footed by the clue package and thought that Grandfather Clock was Peter Shilton. But on the other hand that's now four singers out of four who have had hit singles.

Loads of Abba references with the Bush Baby clues.

They're definitely putting accents on when speaking and singing. Which would make me think it was someone like Rob Brydon but none of the clues point to him.

Blob is definitely Lenny Henry.

Rita saying that she thought Harlequin might have been Des'ree, and the clue that she wrote about horror themes, make me think that could be right. After all, she was the one that said "I don't want to see a ghost
It's the sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast"

No idea about Viking at all, but he's one of the weakest left.

I think Blob is Romesh Ranganathan, as he used to be a teacher and a classroom featured in a VT from a previous week..

I thought that last week, but once I thought Lenny Henry I could just hear his voice all the time. Plus he once did Word Up with a light-up, flashing codpiece for Comic Relief.

None of the clues point to Lenny Henry but I still think it's him.
Aldo, I think your earlier Gabrielle guess is right.
Once I think of someone that's even vaguely likely to be right I can't unhitch that from my mind.

I've changed my mind - tonight's performance makes me think Blob is LEnny Henry. I don't know why there are so many school references in the VT, other than he played a headmaster in a TV series years ago.

Morten Harket became bookie's favourite for Viking this week. That was either top trolling of them or a double bluff.

I'm leaning towards a double bluff.

I only caught a snippet, but is Len trying to get eliminated?

Also, whoever bushbaby is - I did think Gregg Wallace as a bluff with the aussie accent.

Oh ffs Dragon isn't RuPaul - how would he fit in TMS with the several dozen series of RPDR that are running concurrently?

I did wonder if dragon was Dawn French, but she wouldn't be put on the same show as Lenny H. Then again Jennifer Saunders, maybe.

RuPaul is also very tall, which Dragon isn't. Michelle Visage seems likely if going down that route.

Everybody has been a bit pitchy at times tonight.

Might be because they kept going on about Jon Thompson last series, but I thought him for Bush Baby.
Viking has really thrown me.

― kinder, Saturday, January 2, 2021 9:12 PM (three weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

Called it!
As soon as he launched into the Fast Show theme I was certain. Weird they didn't get it considering how hung up they were last series thinking Jason Manford was John Thompson.

Viking is hiding his accent. (There was a bit on the extra show about how they coach them to disguise some of their idiosyncrasies).

I stuck with the US Masked Singer to the end and it wasn't worth it; I didn't know who anyone was. There's a spin-off show called the Masked Dancer.

Blob's song started off something like "Holiday Inn" - didn't LH do all those Premier Inn ads? It's him definitely though because it sounds exactly like him. I'm still waiting for a reference to Christmas classic film Bernard and the Genie.

wow Joel's gag writer is really phoning it in this week.

Also Alan Carr joins the panel for some unknown reason.

Completely heard that Dragon performance as Sandi Toksvig, for no real reason.

The US one had random 'guest panelists' who would also start off as masked. I guess it's just part of the format and another distraction from the actual singing.
Would never have got Viking! I think it's a blatant cheat to do your own song though because I would immediately discount that person!

Dragon sings a bit too well to be a non-singer/stagey person I think? I really dunno though. Semi-final next week so at least 2 going I guess.

I'm calling Lenny Henry for Blob!

― Mark G, Saturday, January 2, 2021 8:03 PM (four weeks ago) bookmarkflaglink

I know, so did everyone else. But, I was definitely first (about a minute into his first song)

Dragon is 100% Sue Perkins. Though I have seversl mates who are convinced it's Sandi Toksvig.

Incoming name drop - I was watching it last night while on a Zoom call with a person who was named as a suggestion who is flatly denying it. I reserve the right to pretend I knew it was them all along if it turns out to be correct. They insist it's not them.