The Masked Singer has unveiled a major star, and viewers are shocked over the renowned rocker who has been hiding beneath the mask. Saturday night's episode saw Yak go home following a rendition of the late Olivia Newton-John's hit Physical - but not before taking off their disguise.
The contestant was unveiled to be none other than '70s punk rock legend John Lydon, perhaps better known as Johnny Rotten, of the Sex Pistols. The 69-year-old later revealed his plan wasn't just to show off his serious skills: "Rather than going up there and doing sing-along and guessing who I am straight away, I thought, let's show the other side of me - an absolute fun-star."
Viewer reactions
Viewers were left stunned after Yak's identity was revealed to be the Sex Pistols' lead singer. "What a reveal I didn’t get that right I’m genuinely shocked," one person commented on the reveal video posted to the Masked Singer Instagram account. "No wayyyyyy!! [laughing emojis] I would never of got that," someone else wrote, while another on X agreed they "never would have guessed Johnny Rotten".
"We’re living in a world where punk legend John Lydon is dressed up as a Yak on The Masked Singer. I love it," one viewer wrote on X. "Imagine travelling back to the 70s and telling people Johnny Rotten would one day be appearing on Saturday Night TV dressed as a sparkly Yak performing an Olivia Newton-John song," one amused viewer said.
He's been on The Masked Singer before
While some viewers might have been shocked at the reveal, John's name has come up on The Masked Singer before. The Sex Pistols frontman was previously unmasked as the Jester on season six of The Masked Singer US in 2021.
The star revealed in a post-exit interview he had gone on the show amid his wife Nora Foster's battle with Alzheimer's. Nora sadly passed away in April 2023. "Someone contacted my manager and we discussed it and I thought it would be really good because it meant my lovely wife, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, might get a great sense of fun out of it if she managed to guess who it was," he told Billboard at the time.
"We’ve lived together for 47 years, Nora and I, so she must have some clues as to who I am and what I can get up to."
Who else has been eliminated?
Season seven of ITV's The Masked Singer premiered on 3 January. This year's judging panelists - Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Maya Jama and Mo Gilligan - have sent home some big names. Singer Anne-Marie and actor and comedian Matt Lucas have both been unmasked so far. Who will be next?