As The Masked Singer prepares to return to ITV screens tonight, its host Joel Dommett has let slip some of the show's most hilarious behind-the-scenes secrets, with a particular focus on the extravagant habits of fellow star Jonathan Ross.
The Boudoir of Jonathan Ross
While Dommett is sworn to secrecy over the identities of the celebrities beneath the elaborate costumes, he was more than happy to expose the flamboyant dressing room antics of panellist Jonathan Ross. Speaking to The Mirror, the 40-year-old presenter described Ross's backstage area as resembling a "boutique".
"He gets a whole van to arrive at his house the day before filming, picks up all of this stuff. It's different stuff every time," Dommett revealed. He detailed how Ross brings in armchairs, racks of magazines, vinyl records, posters, and art for the walls, creating a "beautiful boudoir" that starkly contrasts Dommett's own plain dressing room.
The comedian also shared an anecdote from a visit to Ross's home, where he discovered a 90s-era Perspex raised floor in a dressing room, designed to showcase shoes. "He has like a little button thing that he presses and then each of the shoes rise up," Dommett explained, before noting the system had broken during his visit, forcing Ross to retrieve his footwear manually.
Hilarious On-Screen Bloopers Exposed
Dommett also recounted some of the show's most memorable and funny mistakes. He recalled a moment during an arena show when fellow judge Rita Ora made a spectacularly incorrect guess.
"She genuinely thought one of the singers was Muhammad Ali," he laughed, adding that Ora seemed unaware the boxing legend had passed away. "And also the fact that she thought Muhammad Ali would be there!"
In another blooper, a young audience member at London's O2 Arena confidently identified a performer as the late Whitney Houston, prompting laughter from the 12,000-strong crowd. "Bless her heart," Dommett said of the six-year-old.
From Farm Hay Bales to Prime Time TV
The host reflected on his own journey to becoming a household name, a far cry from his childhood on an isolated farm in Gloucestershire. "I just sort of hung out on a hay bale," he said of his early years.
His comedy career began in earnest in London, where he bought a charity shop bike to travel between multiple gigs each night. He shared a cheap flat in Elephant and Castle which became a hub for comedians, including James Acaster, to watch the then-novel platform of YouTube until the early hours.
Now, with The Masked Singer consistently pulling in around 4.5 million viewers for ITV since its 2020 launch, Dommett is embracing the "nonsense" he initially questioned. Off-screen, he credits his wife Hannah and their two-year-old son Wilde with keeping him grounded, alongside practical measures like installing a gate and hedge at their Shepperton home to deter fans shouting the show's catchphrase.
The new series of The Masked Singer begins on ITV tonight at 6.30pm. Joel Dommett's Happy Idiot UK tour continues next month.
