All the theories on who's behind The Masked Singer's Red Panda as fans predict they'll be ‘voted out’ next after performance axed
A lot of possibilitiesThe Masked Singer fans are constantly trying to work out who is performing, and it seems the Red Panda has gathered quite a few theories.
It’s that time of year again where we all tune in every Saturday night to guess what celebrities are singing on a stage in unusual masks. But just like every other season, it’s very hard to call.
That being said, the Red Panda has been widely discussed by fans, following their performance axe at the start of the series. And many believe they have worked out who is taking part on The Masked Singer as the Red Panda.
So, let’s have a look at the theories.
Why was the Red Panda’s performance axed?
On Saturday night (January 3) the hit ITV show returned for its seventh series hosted by Joel Dommett. But just hours before the show launch, Red Panda was removed.
However, it wasn’t a permanent removal. Instead, it was due to the devastating Swiss bar fire in Switzerland last week. Around 40 people were tragically killed in a fire that ripped through a bar, Le Constellation Bar, in Switzerland at New Year. And 120 people were wounded.
An ITV spokesperson confirmed: “In light of the tragic events in Switzerland, we took the decision to remove Red Panda’s performance on The Masked Singer owing to potential insensitivities within the theme and lyrics of the song.”
ITV also confirmed that viewers will get to see Red Panda perform in the “coming weeks”. But the channel did not reveal what song Red Panda was supposed to sing on The Masked Singer.
Red Panda’s performance revealed
However, Red Panda’s performance has been uploaded onto YouTube, after Sky users noticed it was on Catch-up.
In the VT for the performance, Red Panda is at a fire station. It featured clues like dummies, gold, an address for Rio, and speaking about “towering” over things. The character was also holding a shopping list of; hairspray, sun cream, pink apples and pears.
The Red Panda then took to the stage and performed Disco Inferno, a song released by The Trammps in 1976.
And following the performance, viewers uploaded the scene to a Reddit thread to discuss who they think it could be.
It’s safe to say some fans weren’t impressed. One commented: “Whoever this is, I don’t think he will be in the competition for long.”
Another added: “I think he will be out soon after that performance..”
Could Red Panda be Alan Carr?
Many viewers believed the voice sounded similar to Alan Carr. But that he was altering it to try to not give things away immediately.
Alan recently became a national treasure after his time on Celebrity Traitors, and he has a very distinct voice that could be quickly recognised after hosting his chat show for quite some time.
One Reddit user penned: “Based off voice alone (as someone who went to the recording and saw it live), I am still going to say this is Alan Carr putting on a deep voice.”
Is James Buckley the Red Panda on Masked Singer?
However, other fans thought the clues suggest it could be The Inbetweeners star James Buckley.
One suggested: “So, the visual clues are dummies, gold, 5 Rio Street and a shopping list?” Another responded: “It could be James Buckley as he was in White Gold as well as The Inbetweeners.”
Reece Shearsmith
British actor and comedian Reece Shearsmith has found himself as one of the potential celebs. But it was more the clues that made people suspect him – not his voice.
A fan suggested: “The voice in the Clue Package made me think Reece Shearsmith. But the singing voice, I am drawing a blank.”
Another agreed: “Weirdly, I was thinking the fools gold could be House of Fools, which features Reece. So it may be him. That said, I don’t know if he would do the show.”
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps
Another theory on who Red Panda is on the Masked Singer comes once again from the clues. And this time, users believe it could be Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.
One user wrote: “Just based off a few clues – and googling – my guess is Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. The clues I am going off are – Gold and 5 Rio Street: he won five gold medals in Rio. Hairspray – he was born in Baltimore, which is where Hairspray is set. Other than that, I have nothing.”
So many possibilities!
The Masked Singer airs on ITV every Saturday at 7pm.
Read more: The Masked Singer 2026: Bookies predict girl band legend and ‘prime-time TV favourite’ among line-up
