Alan Carr to bring ‘intelligence’ to The Masked Singer as he joins judging panel

Alan Carr has vowed to bring “intelligence” to The Masked Singer after the comedian was unmasked as the newest judge on the show.The ITV singing competition, hosted by Joel Dommett, sees celebrities perform wearing elaborate costumes while a panel of judges is tasked with guessing who is beneath the mask.Carr, 50, is joining the show as part of a twist which will see him lead a team of “wild card” detectives to rival the existing judges – Jonathan Ross, Maya Jama, Mo Gilligan and Davina McCall.The former Chatty Man host was revealed as the newest addition to the show in true Masked Singer style in a post to Instagram on Thursday.Wearing a vibrant pink suit with mirror decals over the lapel, Carr unmasked himself and said: “It’s me, Alan Carr. I’m sick and tired of watching that panel make terrible guesses.”“I’ve been Red Panda. I’ve been Teeth – I don’t know why they thought of me,” he joked, referencing his past appearances on the show.Carr continued: “I’m joining the panel, and I’m going to bring something that they desperately need – intelligence.“Watch out Jonathan, Maya, Davina, and Mo – because I’m bringing my own detectives to rival yours.“And we’re not here to play. We’re here to win.”The existing judging panel will now be known as the “legends”, and Carr and his group of “wild card” sleuths will try to guess who is behind the mask in the hope of being crowned the best detectives of The Masked Singer 2027.Carr described the role as a “dream come true”, and said: “I can’t wait to play detective – so excited to be shouting ‘take it off’ in the actual studio rather than on my settee at home.”ITV director of entertainment, reality and daytime Katie Rawcliffe said: “We are thrilled to welcome Alan Carr to The Masked Singer.“His wit and energy are the perfect addition to our new ‘rival panel’ and we can’t wait for viewers to see the sparks fly.”Read MoreCarr received a surge in popularity after he starred in the BBC’s smash-hit first series of The Celebrity Traitors – which saw him snatch victory from comedian Nick Mohammed and historian David Olusoga.The show was a ratings winner for the BBC, and saw Carr was cast as a traitor alongside TV presenter Ross, whom he will be competing against on The Masked Singer’s judging panel.Following his success on the reality TV show, Carr was rumoured to be in the running to host Strictly Come Dancing, and to be receiving his own chat show – almost a decade after his Chatty Man programme was cancelled.The Masked Singer will return for its eighth series in 2027, and will be available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX.