Entertainment

The Masked Dancer reveals cast of characters for next series

Footballer Peter Crouch joins the panellists in place of Mo Gilligan this season.
Footballer Peter Crouch joins the panellists in place of Mo Gilligan this season. Footballer Peter Crouch joins the panellists in place of Mo Gilligan this season.

The second series of The Masked Dancer will include celebrities disguised as Tomato Sauce, a Cactus, Scissors and an Astronaut.

After the success of the first series, the dance competition will see 12 new celebrity contestants perform routines while disguised in extravagant and outrageous costumes while a star panel tries to guess their identities.

Former England footballer Peter Crouch will join returning panellists, former Strictly professional dancer Oti Mabuse, chat show host Jonathan Ross and TV presenter Davina McCall, as they try to work out who is behind the mask. 

Tomato Sauce
Tomato Sauce Tomato Sauce (ITV/Bandicoot TV/PA) (Vincent Dolman/ITV)

Crouch is stepping in for comedian Mo Gilligan, who is unavailable this season due to touring commitments, but will be making a surprise appearance alongside other special guests throughout the run.

Comedian Joel Dommett will once again be presiding over the dancing competition as host.

Cactus will take to the stage dressed as a superhero in a pink and yellow cape with a matching mask, while Candlestick will debut in a brown and gold sculpted number.

Astronaut
Astronaut Astronaut (ITV/Bandicoot TV/PA) (Vincent Dolman/ITV)

Other colourful contestants include the show’s first duo – Pillar and Post – whose outfit features one person wrapped in letters and another dressed as a post box – while Astronaut looks dapper in a white spacesuit with gold trim.

Pig, dressed in a waistcoat with pink tartan socks and a multi-coloured crochet jacket, will also try to stop the judges guessing their real identity.

The new line-up is completed by Sea Slug, Pearly King, Odd Socks, Onomatopoeia and Prawn Cocktail.

Pig
Pig Pig (ITV/Banditcoot TV/PA) (Vincent Dolman/ITV)

Series one saw Olympic gymnast Louis Smith crowned the winner after he was unmasked as the character Carwash.

Smith saw off competition from actresses Tamzin Outhwaite and Bonnie Langford, and Take That star Howard Donald, during the finale.

The show is a spin-off of the hit series The Masked Singer, which returned for a third series on New Year’s Day, with singer Natalie Imbruglia being crowned victor after performing in disguise as Panda throughout the series.

The Masked Dancer second series will air in autumn.