Joel Dommett is surprised with his own doppelganger as mystery celebrity performs in disguise as the presenter for The Masked Singer Christmas special

Joel Dommett is left shocked when he is surprised by ITV producers with a giant doppelgänger in the upcoming Masked Singer Christmas special.

Hidden inside the giant version of Joel is a beloved celebrity with viewers and the star-studded panel tasked with guessing who is hiding behind the head.

Jennifer Saunders, 66, and Dawn French, 67, have reunited for the festive special and will be joined by regular panellists Davina McCall, 57, Jonathon Ross, 64, and Mo Gilligan, 36.

They are tasked with guessing which celebrities are hiding behind four new Christmas-themed mascots: Star, Christmas Cracker, Turkey Crown and Nutcracker.

Despite the unknown celebrity appearing in the festive special as Joel, which airs on Boxing Day, fans will have to wait until the first episode of the new series on January 4 before the star is unmasked.

Speaking about what he thought of the costume when it was first revealed, Joel said: ‘I thought, ‘Is my nose really that shape?’ Then everyone confirmed that it was so… and your teeth are so big!’

Joel also revealed that his wife Hannah Cooper told him not to keep the costume after the show because they don’t have room.

He said: ‘My wife said I can’t keep it because we don’t have space, so I told her we need to buy a slightly bigger house.

“Maybe we can turn it upside down and make it into a really cool laundry basket or something.”

The presenter revealed that he has only shown Hannah the doppelganger and that he is ‘excited’ that the rest of his family will see it on the show.

He added, “I actually haven’t shown my family yet! I’m glad they see it. The only thing stranger than seeing your son on the television is seeing a large version of your son on the television standing next to your son on the television!’

It comes after The Masked Singer fans are convinced they have already worked out Kingfisher’s identity – a whole month before the new series kicks off.

The hit ITV show released a trailer that gave a glimpse of some of the weird and wonderful costumes viewers can expect to see in the new year.

This includes characters like a blowfish, a toad, a crab, a bush, a bowl of spaghetti, and a set of chattering teeth.

There is also a unicorn dressed as a knight, a frog in a cupcake and a brightly colored kingfisher.

In the clip, the kingfisher can be seen donning green dungarees over a black and white striped sweater.

Several fishing logos are embroidered on their green costume, including a compass and a crescent moon.

This has led some fans to believe it could be none other than EastEnders actor Shane Richie, who plays sweet, cheeky boy Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap.

One viewer took to Reddit and wrote: ‘It could be Alfie Moon from EastEnders – the moon makes me think it’s him.’

A second agreed, saying: ‘It could be, the moon is a giveaway.’

While a third replied: ‘I said the same thing! And he is known to sing.”

Joel Dommett returns to the 2025 series, while Rita Ora is replaced by Maya Jama.

This marks Maya’s first role in a primetime ITV1 show, following her huge success as Love Island presenter.

Speaking about taking part in the show, Maya said: ‘I’m such a fan of Masked Singer, so joining the panel alongside Davina, Jonathan and Mo – and of course working with Joel – is going to be so much fun!

“I can’t wait to find out who’s underneath all those incredible costumes, experience their performances and have a front-row seat to the unmaskings.

“I’ve been watching the show for a long time, so I’m definitely bringing my A-game to the panel!”

A source also told The Sun: ‘This is a huge deal for Maya, who is now one of telly’s fastest rising stars.

‘It puts her in front of a huge Saturday night audience every week in a show watched by everyone from children to pensioners.

‘So far she has a following that is very young thanks to Love Island, but signing to The Masked Singer would take her career to a whole new level.’

Line of Duty star Vicky McClure will be a new guest judge on the series, joining regulars Jonathan Ross, Mo Gilligan and Davina McCall.

Last season the show was won by McFly’s Danny Jones, who was behind the Piranha costume.

Runners-up were The Last Leg co-host Alex Brooker (as Bigfoot) and singer Lemar (as Cricket).

Previous winners of the show include Busted’s Charlie Simpson, Torn singer Natalie Imbruglia, Grammy Award-winning artist Joss Stone and Girls Aloud star Nicola Roberts.

With over 37 million viewers since its launch in 2020, the show remains a must-watch.

At the time of writing, the popular show has been renewed for another season, likely to air in 2026.

The Masked Singer Christmas Special airs on 7.30pm on Boxing Day on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player and the new series The Masked Singer begins Saturday, January 4 at 7:00 PM.