ITV commissions ‘bonkers’ singing game show from South Korea

ITV has commissioned an “utterly bonkers” singing game show from South Korea.

It will air a UK version of The Masked Singer, which went viral and has also been a hit in the US, notching up 17 million viewers.

The series will see 12 famous faces compete to pull off the best performance, with their identity “elaborately and imaginatively concealed”.

Their masked identity – taking inspiration from manga, superheroes, wild animals and mythical creatures – will remain for the whole series.

The show originated as the South Korean format The King Of Mask Singer.

The eight-part series will air on ITV, home to The X Factor, The Voice and Britain’s Got Talent, on consecutive nights in 2020.

Siobhan Greene, ITV’s head of entertainment commissioning, said: “Not very often, a show comes along that seems to abandon all the rules… and this is it.

“The Masked Singer is original, bold, funny and a proper guessing game that we hope will have the nation hooked.

“We all loved it from the moment we saw it and are so excited to be bringing it to a UK audience.”

A “superstar panel” will “lead the viewers at home in their quest to discover who they are” in the “brilliantly noisy phenomenon”, ITV said.

Derek McLean and Daniel Nettleton, founders of Scottish production company Bandicoot, said: “The Masked Singer combines the entertainment values of the most bonkers singing show imaginable with the guessing game and laughter of the best comedy panel show.

“With madcap costumes and cunning disguises, we have no doubt the audience will love the outlandish performances and revel in playing the guessing game.”