Masked Singer viewers 'work out' identities of Emperor Penguin and Goldfish ahead of 2026 launch as first clues are revealed
Ooh!The Masked Singer 2026 has returned for Series 7, and viewers have already begun working out who could be the celebrities underneath the wild costumes.
This year, the show will have more unmaskings than ever. In addition to its 12 contestants, viewers are being treated to a new twist.
For the first time in the show’s history, the ITV show will feature bands performing on stage. Tonight (January 3) will see Goldfish appear alongside No Trout, while Sunday (January 4) will bring Emperor Penguin and the Antarctic Funkeys into the spotlight.
Masked Singer clues for Emperor Penguin and Goldfish
Tonight’s first episode will see viewers tasked with working out the true identity of Goldfish before they reveal themselves.
Tomorrow, it will then be Emperor Penguin’s moment to take centre stage as the guessing game continues.
Ahead of the series launch, The Sun received exclusive clues on the characters.
Goldfish delivered four separate clues to the panel, beginning with a question aimed at Davina McCall: “How did it feel to be top of the Christmas tree?”
The aquatic character then turned his attention to Jonathan Ross, teasing him with: “They say goldfish have a three-second memory. We’ll be the Judge of that.”
Mo Gilligan was handed the cryptic line “54x4x10-166+8=X”, while Maya Jama received: “I heard you became an award-winning billionaire by swimming up stream!”
Emperor Penguin also sent out a series of clues, starting with a message for Davina: “I hear you go all Hollywood on a hen night.”
Jonathan was next, with the character telling him: “Performing as Emperor Penguin is your Golden Ticket.”
Maya was asked: “Are you ready to kick things off? They’ll be gunning for you tonight!”
And finally, Mo was sent the playful hint: “You can mash ‘em, fry ’em, roast ‘em, but we all know you prefer to sing ‘em.”
‘The clue has just given it away’
Eager fans on Reddit have since begun guessing who could be underneath the costumes and are confident they have worked out who both of them are.
For Goldfish, many believe the clues point to pop star Anne-Marie.
“So Goldfish seems to be Anne-Marie,” one user wrote.
“I’m pretty sure it’s Anne-Marie. Based on the sum, Xmas no.1 and the judging clue,” another person shared.
“Me too, that 2002 clue has just given it away” a third remarked.
Meanwhile, others think Emperor Penguin could be Matt Lucas.
“I think it’s Matt Lucas. He was in Wonka, likes Arsenal, and the potato thing he did during lockdown,” one person insisted.
“Ohhhh Matt Lucas?” another said.
Read more: The Masked Singer 2026: ITV confirms Perrie Edwards and other celebrity guest judges
