The Masked Singer returned for its second series in the UK on January 2, and since then the nation has not stopped trying to guess who are under the masks.
Every week a handful of hidden famous faces sing for judges Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Rita Ora, and Mo Gilligan, alongside host Joel Dommett – with the losing celeb having to take their mask off and reveal their identity.
There are still plenty of characters to unmask, including Badger.
We won’t keep badgering on – let’s take a look at the clues.
What clues have been given about Badger?
Viewers met Badger in the first episode, where they performed a version of Nina Simone’s classic Feeling Good.
They then went on to perform I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith in week three.
Last time we saw Badger, they sang Because Of You by Kelly Clarkson
Viewers were also given some clues about who the person underneath the mask is. These included:
- They are used to being anonymous
- They are not easily recognised on the street
- Could be into motorbikes
- ‘I see things like a virtual world!’
- They are a shy creature – especially around girls when they were younger
Badger also told two lies and a truth:
- I’m good at dodging furniture
- When working, I’m often found in green
- Strictly speaking, dancing is something I’m well known for
So, from these clues, what names have been thrown around?
The singer offered further clues about their identity which included:
- Just like badgers, Badger comes from a very big family.
- His family are very creative, with Badger being introduced to his ‘gift’ by his mother when he was younger.
- Badger then dedicated his third song to ‘special little badgers’ out there. Who could he be referring to?
- Dug deep to deliver
- Familiar with more than one type of studio
- Has won a lot of awards or medals
- He’s a fan of hats
- He’s into coding
Who could be Badger on The Masked Singer?
Ne-Yo
Singer and rapper Ne-Yo, best known for songs Let Me Love You and Miss Independent, is the most popular guess for Badger.
Fans say the singer’s vocals clearly sound like Ne-Yo’s recognisable voice.
There were also clues pointing towards coding… and Ne-Yo invested in a coding school in 2017.
One viewer tweeted their theory: ‘periodic table behind the element NE was circled (for neyo) -the voice sounds just like him -he’s known for his dancing too as he performed in step up -he was in the uk when the masked singer was being filmed from his insta.’
David Myers
One half of the Hairy Bikers, Myers is pegged to be unmasked as the Badger.
One of the clues inferred a love of motorbikes, which is one of the biggest clues here.
Carl Fogarty
Carl Fogarty is also a popular guess for Badger.
Sometimes known as Foggy, he is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time, holding the second highest number of race wins at 59.
Andy Serkis
One name tossed into the mix by the judges and social media is prominent voice actor Andy Serkis, one of the highest-grossing actors of all time, with his film work in motion capture critically acclaimed.
The star, who is perhaps best known for voicing Gollum, might have a degree of anonymity as he quite obviously does not look like Gollum every day.
However, Serkis has starred in films showing his actual face before, including 2018’s Black Panther so this might be a stretch.
Jay Kay
Another name thrown into the mix is Jay Kay, lead vocalist of the jazz-funk band Jamiroquai.
Known for wearing wacky ensembles, he would, in theory, have some anonymity when he wasn’t dressed in the typical Jamiroquai fare – which unfortunately resembled that of one of the US Capitol rioters this week, forcing him to deny his involvement.
Another potential clue? One of Jamiroquai’s biggest hits was called Virtual Reality – a nod to the Badger’s clue about a virtual world?
The Stig
Another suspect mentioned by many viewers is one of the most famous masked celebs in the world: Top Gear’s character The Stig.
This is because he is used to being anonymous (tick), is not easily recognised on the street (tick), and is into motorbikes (tick).
Courtney Act
RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Courtney Act is known to many, but would they be as recognisable out of drag?
Courtney Act, when not performing, goes by Shane.
Though maybe less recognisable to some, Courtney did win Celebrity Big Brother three years ago, where viewers got to see Shane quite regularly.
Other guesses for Badger include Alan Titchmarsh and Will Young.
The Masked Singer continues tonight at 7pm on ITV.
MORE : The Masked Singer UK: Did this Instagram ‘slip-up’ give away Dragon as Courtney Act?
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The Masked Singer series 2: Who is behind each mask?
With the nation more or less confined to their living rooms every Saturday night, The Masked Singer has proven to be something of a lockdown 3.0 saviour.
While the performances are of course a draw, most of the fun lies in guessing just who is behind each mask.
Here are the clues and theories so far: