Who’s The Masked Singer star Red Panda? All clues and theories so far

The Masked Singer UK is finally back on our screens, with viewers eagerly awaiting the chance to guess which celebrities could be behind the costumes.

Hosted by Joel Dommett, the judging panel consists of Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Mo Gilligan and Maya Jama.

Since first hitting screens in 2020, six seasons of the show have aired on ITV, with previous winners being Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts, Joss Stone, Natalia Imbruglia, Charlie Simpson, Danny Jones, and Samantha Barks.

The format is pretty simple – contestants hit the stage to belt out tunes while concealed by unique and elaborate costumes. The panel of judges is then tasked with figuring out who the singers might be, aided by a series of cryptic clues.

This time around, the 12 costumes are Moth, Can of Worms, Red Panda, Conkers, Arctic Fox, Toastie, Monkey Business, Yak, Sloth, Gargoyle, Disc Jockey, and Teabag.

Red Panda had an unconventional start to their Masked Singer experience, as they were initially cut from the launch night episode due to the nature of their song potentially being perceived as ‘insensitive’.

As they finally take centre stage, here are all the clues and theories of who they might be…

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What clues are there for Red Panda’s identity?

• Introductory VT shows a pile of baby dummies.
• Also shows a pile of rocks, with the top one being a large gold stone – maybe they have won a gold medal?
• Furthering the Olympian theory, a letter is depicted as addressed to 5 Rio Street, Birmingham, suggesting the star could’ve won a prize the 2016 summer Olympics.
• Said it is ‘music to [their] ears’ to find out they have ‘saved the day’ – possibly a goalkeeper reference?
• ‘Is it scary scaling new heights and towering over everyone below? Yes, but I never get fur-rightened’ – perhaps someone known for being courageous, or also a very tall person?
• ‘I don’t do it on my own. I have plenty of instruments to help me.’
• A shopping list appears, consisting of hairspray, sun cream, pink apples, and five pears.
• ‘I am always up-to-date with the latest trends.’
• A poster featuring Roger Moore and the ‘007’ number.
• ‘I’ve sometimes been called a pro.’
• Four bowls of strawberry bonbons shown on a shelf.
• ‘I’m always ready for action’ – could be someone in the world of film?
• Describes themselves as ‘cool, calm, and collected.’
• ‘Sometimes, I do this job solo, but we red pandas band together.’
• A heart-shaped box of chocolates – representing someone who hosts on Heart FM?

Who could Red Panda on The Masked Singer be?

Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon

Viewers are speculating that a member of Duran Duran could be inside Red Panda’s costume.

The English pop rock band was formed in Birmingham in 1978, which would explain the envelope address in Red Panda’s first VT.

What’s more, the group is known for their tune Rio, which is also the name of their second studio album.

Its current lineup comprises Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Roger Taylor.

And Jonathan Ross himself could be on the money by throwing Simon’s name out there, having spotted four bowls of the strawberry sweets in Red Panda’s VT.

‘There was a picture of Roger Moore, James Bond… and those sweeties, strawberry bonbons. Duran Duran wrote the song for A View To A Kill, one of the Bond films starring Roger Moore,’ the chat show host explained.

Jeff Brazier

Maya Jama reckons This Morning star Jeff Brazier is the one beneath the mask.

The host is best known for competition segments on daytime telly, regularly appearing on the likes of Loose Women.

Maya explained: ‘I saw hero references; I thought maybe it’s someone who could be on Celebrity SAS, 007 vibes, if we’re thinking outside of the box.

‘Then I thought, they’re on telly, and they’ve got a son who’s an actor… Jeff Brazier.’

Of course, Jeff has two famous sons, whom he shares with late partner Jade Goody. They have actor Bobby, who has been on Strictly and appeared in EastEnders, and model Freddy.

Following Red Panda’s second performance, guest panellist Ben Shephard picked up on the fact that this is a seasoned TV personality.

‘You’re an entertainer, so you know how to woo a crowd,’ he said.

‘Sometimes you do this on your own, sometimes you do it in a team… I know someone from Heart FM who works very closely with a team with this guy when they’re working together, which is Amanda Holden. You, Red Panda, are Alan Carr!’

The Chatty Man was also a popular theory among viewers at home and, what with Alan proving he has powers of deception on The Celebrity Traitors last year, it’s certainly possible that this could be him, right?

The Masked Singer 2026 continues on ITV1 and ITVX.

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