It’s time to look at the character’s costume more closely… (Picture: ITV/Katelyn Mensah)
Anyone who watches The Masked Singer UK will be able to tell you that it is absolutely bonkers and delightful fun.
Yes, it’s technically a singing competition… but one of the best parts of the programme is the wildly creative costumes that the concealed celebrities get to wear as they perform on stage.
This year, we have characters including a flamenco dress-wearing Dressed Crab, a chattering pair of Teeth and a Pufferfish who looks like an 80s pop icon. As usual, the costume design team has pulled out all of the stops.
Metro recently had the chance to speak to Tim Simpson, The Masked Singer UK’s costume designer and director of Plunge Creations, who explained why viewers need to pay closer attention to Kingfisher when deciphering ‘secret clues’.
While the outfits that the celebrities get to wear might just be a bit of fun, sometimes certain details in the designs could provide hints as to who the famous person is under the mask.
Tim confirmed that this year, none of the singers have any elements of their costumes that change as the weeks go by. But, Kingfisher’s costume is definitely one to look at more closely.
Discussing both Tattoo and Kingfisher, Tim said: ‘The production team always have clever ways of weaving stories into bits of the costume. It might be the flowers [on Tattoo]. It might be the little birds on the shoulders. I don’t think the production team ever let us produce a costume with details on it by accident,’ he said.
‘So they will find a clue within a costume somewhere. I would say both with that and on Kingfisher – I think there’s certainly some clues to be found in Kingfisher, and I think they’re the main two that have got little secrets in them, but I couldn’t possibly comment.’ However, he then added: ‘There are things to look out for on Kingfisher.’
Looking at Kingfisher’s costume, one can see that the character has a few badges pinned to their fisherman’s garb – one has a picture that looks like mountains on it, another has an image of a fish.
Small, but very important details.
Perhaps the celebrity has been on a mountainous expedition before? Or maybe they’re pescetarian? We’ll soon find out!
The Masked Singer UK has delighted fans with its weird and wonderful new cast members (Picture: Kieron McCarron/ITV)
Given Kingfisher’s connection to nature, the judges thought it could be Chris Packham under the mask (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Rex/Shutterstock)
Tim revealed that when he saw Kingfisher perform for the first time, singing The Rainbow Connection from The Muppet Movie, it had a profound emotional impact on him.
‘I saw Kingfisher do their first performance on stage, and it actually made me cry. I’ve got a real soft spot for the song that they sung. I was like, I can’t believe I’m watching this. I can’t believe I’m being emotionally punched by a Kingfisher, sitting in the audience live in the studio, like some sort of emotional little sucker. Well, that’s what happens. You become a dad, and everything gets a bit emotional,’ he recollected.
As for his own guesses over who Kingfisher could be, Tim had an intriguing theory about the celebrity’s profession in the real world.
‘I’m not sure that Kingfisher is a professional singer, and in which case, they might not even be a professional actor and performer, but they are an amazing Kingfisher. I think that comes out of a sort of spirit of fun that pervades the whole show really,’ he shared.
The Masked Singer returns on Saturday at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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