First celebrity unmasked on latest series of The Masked Singer

The first celebrity to be unmasked on the latest series of The Masked Singer is Dionne Warwick.

The American singer, 83, who appeared as Weather, performed the Jimmy Cliff hit I Can See Clearly Now on the ITV celebrity show on Saturday.

Warwick said: “It’s been an absolute joy, when I was asked to the show I was like, yes, let’s have some fun, but I can never try to disguise my voice.”

She had been in the bottom alongside Maypole, who performed P!nk’s Never Gonna Not Dance Again, and Dippy Egg, who gave a rendition of The Monkees’ song Daydream Believer after an audience vote on the British version of the hit show.

Warwick said it was “the hardest thing in the world” to keep her participation a secret, saying: “I’m a talker, I love to talk, and I couldn’t talk to anybody. But I had no choice. I had to follow the rules so I didn’t say a word to anybody.”

She explained that her costume was part of her having “a ball” by doing the show.

Warwick also said: “You know the weather is very unpredictable. I am totally predictable. You always know what Dionne is about and up to. Always.”

Hosted by comedian Joel Dommett, the series sees a panel and those at home guess the secret identity of the anonymous celebrity singers, all wearing elaborate costumes.

The celebrity panel includes presenter Davina McCall, talk show host Jonathan Ross, comedian Mo Gilligan and Busted singer Charlie Simpson.

Ross had guessed it was Dionne Warwick.

Commenting on the other judges’ guesses, Warwick said: “It was quite interesting to think that I sounded like Bonnie Tyler, Macy Gray, Sade. I’ll take that.”

The Masked Singer airs on Saturdays at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV.