ITV confirms The Masked Dancer without Rita Ora

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 1h

ITV confirms details of The Masked Singer spinoff The Masked Dancer, with Rita Ora replaced by Oti Mabuse on the judging panel.

ITV has confirmed that it has commissioned The Masked Dancer, a spinoff of ratings heavyweight The Masked Singer.

The new show will feature 12 mystery celebrities performing dance routines while hidden inside elaborate costumes, all the while attempting to keep their real identities secret from the judging panel.

The Masked Dancer will be hosted by Joel Dommett, while three of the four judges from The Masked Singer - Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall and Jonathan Ross - will keep their seats on the spinoff.

Rita Ora, who has come under fire for a serious breach of coronavirus lockdown rules last autumn, will be replaced by Strictly Come Dancing's Oti Mabuse as the fourth judge.

"I'm so thrilled and honoured to be joining the panel on The Masked Dancer," said Mabuse, who won the last two series of Strictly in a row.

"I'm a huge fan of The Masked Singer and I loved the US Masked Dancer so I just can't wait to start on this show. As a dancer I will be watching the dancers intently looking for clues - it's going to be so much fun!!!"

Dommett added: "Well, this is set to be an amazing fun twist...will someone do the twist?! The Masked Dancer is that little bit of silly fun our lives need right now and I'm so excited to be hosting it.

"I'm looking forward to some incredible costumes, epic performances and accidentally saying Masked Singer at least five times."

The seven-part series is being fast-tracked into production and will air on ITV later this spring.