The Masked Dancer UK

The Sun article suggests they want Joel to present and the same panel as Singer.

The Sun article suggested they have the same panel on the US version which isn't the case at all. Only Ken appears on both.

I suspect the appeal of The Masked Dancer for them is that it widens the potential range of contestants. I’d guess many more are willing to dance than sing.

Yeah which makes me think they might well be incorrect about them wanting the same panel on ours.

I think to keep the shows separate they should have a different panel. Joel could perhaps do both as the link but that’s it. A bit like how The Voice Kids has a mostly different cast to the adult version.

I also think celebrity dancing on Saturdays in the Autumn is a recipe for disaster, no matter how different the actual show is to Strictly. I also think it needs to be a good distance away from Singer. All of which makes me wonder if this might actually be a stripped week rather than a weekly Saturday show. We know that was the original plan for Singer and ITV love a stripped entertainment show. They’ve lost BGT week and The Real Games has apparently been postponed again so that’s where they’ve got gaps. Would make sense and also be less risky to Singer if this was done and dusted in a week.

Another sign that this is coming, The Voice Kids will now air at Christmas, not in the usual summer slot, possibly making way for The Masked Dancer?

Makes total sense to run Dancer in the Kids slot, because if you run it afterward you risk bumping into Strictly. However, you could just have Kids from September onwards. Presumably the “festive period” means December? So Saturday nights once IAC is done?

Although, as suggested here, I prefer the idea of a weeks run for Masked Dancer. Helps keep it different to the Singer brand.

I think it would be fun to have Mo Gilligan present The Masked Dancer rather than Joel Dommett.

That's not a bad shout.

Well this is interesting!

NEW: It's being reported that singer Rita Ora will be replaced with dancer Oti Mabuse on the panel for #TheMaskedDancer! Joel, Davina, Mo and Jonathan are set to stay on both shows #MaskedSingerUK https://t.co/3h7SjOzz1r

— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) February 9, 2021

It makes total sense to replace the singer with a dancer on the panel.

Daily Mirror article is also suggesting it will run in May for the BGT live week. If true, I wonder what the scheduling will be? 9pm like a normal
ITV stripped week of shows is surely too late? So will it get the BGT treatment of an earlier slot?

Maybe 8pm with a Corrie special week still at 9:30pm.

And after Anton's try out in the SCD judge's chair last year.....

Oti judging TMD wouldn't affect Strictly's panel though, as she's a dancer on Strictly - it's her sister Motsi who judges. So Anton would still have to wait for his turn as a permanent judge!