ITV’s The Masked Singer fans were left a tad puzzled when the victorious contestant was revealed, with many admitting they didn’t recognise her. Saturday night saw the final face-off between Dressed Crab, Pufferfish and Wolf, all vying for the crown in the 2025 season of ITV’s family-favourite show. Judges Maya Jama, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross were on hand to make their final guesses about the identities of the stars behind the masks in this sixth season, while 2024 winner Danny Jones joined as a guest judge. Host Joel Dommett was there to cheer on the singers and recap the clues about their identities. As the show concluded, fans were delighted to discover Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow under the Wolf costume and singer Gregory Porter beneath the Dressed Crab disguise.
However, when West End sensation Samantha Barks was unveiled as the Pufferfish, reactions were mixed, with many viewers confessing they didn’t know who she was – despite her roles in a major Hollywood film and on stage. The 34 year old Isle of Man native has played Elsa in the West End production of Frozen and starred alongside Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman in the 2012 rendition of Les Miserables. As the finale of The Masked Singer unfolded, X was flooded with perplexed reactions to the unmasking, with one fan admitting, “I haven’t a clue who she is #maskedsinger”, reports the Mirror.
Another was more direct, asking: “Who? #maskedsinger. Never heard of her..” A third viewer echoed the sentiment, confessing: “I’ve watched the entire series only to have never heard of that actual winner #maskedsinger.” However, not everyone was in the dark. Some fans discovered a new appreciation for Samantha Barks, while others were already die-hard enthusiasts.
One fan gushed: “What an amazing final – very well deserved #samanthaBarks (I have to admit to not knowing this amazing person until this show). Stunning talent.” Another fan chimed in: “Samantha Barks is an amazing singer her, love her! #MaskedSingerUK #MaskedSinger.”
Throughout the sixth season of The Masked Singer, an array of celebrities donned elaborate costumes to showcase their talents. Olympic icon Mo Farah was the first to be unmasked as Giant Joel, followed closely by TV presenter Kate Garraway, who had been masquerading as Spag Bol.
Other notable unmaskings included former Bake Off personalities Prue Leith and Mel Giedroyc, who were revealed as Pegasus and Teeth, respectively. The show also featured The Corrs’ Andrea Corr, rapper Example, singer Carol Decker, artist Grayson Perry, and EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy, all of whom shed their disguises at various points in the competition.
Week three of the show was a whirlwind as music legend Macy Gray was unmasked as the voice behind the Toad in the Hole costume, after delivering a soulful rendition of Roxette’s It Must Have Been Love. However, her elimination didn’t go down smoothly; she initially stormed off set before returning to reveal her identity.
The 2025 season saw a shake-up in the judging panel when Rita Ora decided to leave the UK version for its US counterpart. This opened up a spot for Love Island host Maya to join Jonathan, Davina and Mo.
The 2024 season was swept by McFly’s Danny Jones, who had quite the winning streak that year. Disguised as Piranha, his powerful vocals left audiences in awe and their jaws dropped when he was finally revealed as the winner.
Alongside McFly bandmate Tom Fletcher, he also clinched victory on The Voice, with their mentee Ava taking home the title. To top it all off, he was crowned king of the jungle on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! at the end of the year, beating out competition from WAG Coleen Rooney and celebrity priest The Reverend Richard Coles.
