Overview
- ITV delayed Saturday’s premiere by 10 minutes to 6:40pm and removed Red Panda’s pre‑recorded performance, citing potential insensitivities following the Crans‑Montana bar fire, with the act to air in coming weeks.
- Series 7 introduced the show’s first Masked Singer Band format, headlined by Goldfish with No Trout in the opener and Emperor Penguin with the Antarctic Funkeys to follow on Sunday.
- Goldfish was revealed on-air as pop star Anne‑Marie after fans had linked clues such as an equation pointing to “2002” and references to a Christmas No. 1 and streaming awards.
- Disc Jockey became the first contestant eliminated and was unmasked as The One Show presenter Alex Jones after a sing‑off with Gargoyle.
- Viewers reacted in real time on social media, both praising performances and criticizing the pacing and extended opening segments, while many speculated that Moth sounds like Sugababes’ Keisha Buchanan.