The Masked Singer has finally returned to ITV with its 2026 series with a whole new line-up of anonymous celebrities.

Bosses of The Masked Singer made a last-minute edit to the pre-recorded episode on Saturday night which meant that one celebrity's performance had to be removed

ITV has announced a schedule change involving The Masked Singer, which has left fans all saying the same thing. Taking to social media on Saturday (January 3), ITV announced: "Update: Tonight's episode of The Masked Singer will be airing at 6:40pm instead of 6:30pm!"

If you’ve been watching The Masked Singer week-to-week for a good while, you’ve probably become well-acquainted with the judges — but how much do you know about their personal lives?

An ITV spokesperson said: ‘In light of the tragic events in Switzerland, we took the decision to remove Red Panda’s performance on The Masked Singer owing to potential insensitivities within the theme and lyrics of the song. ‘Viewers will get to see Red Panda perform in the coming weeks.’

This weekend, ITV viewers will see a brand-new series of The Masked Singer - and for the first time, the opening two episodes will showcase a complete band, with the panel tasked with identifying the lead vocalist. This comes after one This Morning star was unveiled as the winner of the Christmas special over the weekend.

An act has been withdrawn from Saturday’s premiere episode of The Masked Singer due to "potential insensitivities" following the tragic Swiss bar fire that claimed 40 lives. T he character, Red Panda, was removed from the 2026 series opener of the popular singing competition, which features celebrities performing in elaborate disguises.