HOW HAVE YOU ENJOYED RETURNING TO THE PANEL?
IT'S very nice being back. To be back here, especially now with a big audience and it's an audience who really know what the show is, it's really been so much fun, so much energy in the studio each night, so much fun seeing all the new singers. It's always exciting to see what the costumes will be and see what those inside the costumes do with their characters.
THE FORMAT IS A HIT WORLDWIDE. WHY DO YOU THINK IT CAPTIVATES PEOPLE?
It's so fun and there's no kind of negativity at all. Even when someone goes out early in the competition – in other shows there's a sadness when they leave, because they've worked so hard – there isn't that I don't think. People are so enjoying taking part and maybe they'd like to stay for a couple more weeks, but they don't really mind because there's nothing at stake. They're not doing it for any other reason than just having a great time and trying to fool everyone.
HOW HAS HAVING A FULL AUDIENCE IMPACTED THE MOOD?
Having a crowd lifts things. And one of the things I find really lovely about it is seeing so many people coming along with their kids. It's quintessentially a family show. It's 100 per cent a family show. So seeing all the little kids in, seeing how much they get into it, and seeing how they respond to certain characters, who may not be the best singers, but are the most fun on stage… You can see they're having a great time watching that person fool around.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS YEAR'S CHARACTERS.
All the costumes are great. There's a really wide range; we've got some things that are beautiful, elegant animals like the Rockhopper; there's a mushroom character who's lovely on stage. Then we go to the other extreme and we've got a robot with a bunny stuck inside it and we've got a traffic cone. We usually aren't very pleased to see traffic cones but we like seeing this traffic cone as they make us all laugh. The biggest crowd pleaser so far is Doughnuts – made entirely of doughnuts and is probably the most fun performer to watch.
HOW'S YOUR GUESSING GAME THIS SEASON?
I start well at the beginning. I've been paying a lot more attention to the clues and a lot less attention to my imagination. But also, I got one person early on, and I think I was best placed to get that person – I don't want to give it away – because this was an older performer and I'm the oldest person on the panel.
IF YOU WERE TASKED WITH DESIGNING A COSTUME, WHAT WOULD YOU COME UP WITH?
As I love sci-fi, I might go for something from that sort of realm. But we've got a Robobunny on the show, so they've sort of ticked the box there. We haven't had a big frog yet and I rather like frogs. And we haven't had as many dogs as I thought. We've got a poodle this series, but I think a pug might be fun. A big, floppy, soft pug.
AND WHAT WOULD BE YOUR GO-TO SONG CHOICE?
Well, because I've got a big range, I would probably go with And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going from Dreamgirls. I'm probably the only one on the panel who can hit those notes and it would surprise people because I've got that energy.
:: The Masked Singer airs on Saturday evenings on ITV.
