How ITV's 'The Masked Singer' Will Compare To The South Korean & U.S. Versions

Worldwide TV phenomenon The Masked Singer will be introduced to UK audiences early in the new year, and will see 12 celebrities hide behind an array of bizarre costumes as they belt out tunes in front of an all-star panel of judges. The singing-competition show has proved to be a huge success overseas, and the U.S. version has already welcomed various A-list names onto its stage. But will The Masked Singer UK reflect the U.S. and South Korean version?

As the Radio Times reports, ITV's The Masked Singer will be based on the original South Korean format, which is what inspired the hugely popular American version. I have reached out to ITV to see if there's any further info, and will update with any word from them, but it's seems safe to stay that the UK show will follow the same format as The Masked Singer we already know and love.

The aim of the TV competition is for mystery celebrities to pull-off a show stopping performance, without their true identity being uncovered by the audience and judging panel — who have absolutely zero idea which famous faces lie behind the eccentric costumes.

The rather impressive line up of judges includes Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Rita Ora and Hangover actor Ken Jeong, who also appears on the U.S. version of the show. Throughout the series, the Masked Singer judges will be given an opportunity to guess which celebrities are hiding beneath each costume, and are required to critique the performer's overall ability, as opposed to their vocal talents.

Comedian and presenter Joel Dommett will be at the helm of the ITV series, which is due to get underway in January 2020, and when discussing the upcoming UK edition, chat show host Jonathan Ross couldn't seem to contain his excitement. According to the Radio Times, the Masked Singer judge revealed his love for the American version, and added that he "can’t wait to try and uncover the mystery UK superstars hiding beneath the masks." Well, I most definitely share Ross' enthusiasm, but what celebrities can we expect to pop-up throughout the show's duration? Unfortunately, the format doesn't feature any hints relating to who might be taking part, however as Digital Spy reports, the first official trailer does preview some of the judges very interesting guesses, which include the likes of Idris Elba, Olivia Coleman and Sir Ian McKellan.

Of course, viewers won't discover the identity of each performing celebrity until the show's debut, and you can expect The Masked Singer to arrive on ITV in January 2020.