The latest episode of The Masked Singer UK, airing January 17, 2026, featured a show-stopping reveal as Marcella Detroit, the legendary American singer, was unmasked beneath the Gargoyle costume. The dramatic unmasking, which came during the Spooktacular special, left fans and judges alike in awe, further elevating the mystery and excitement surrounding this season of the show.
Iconic Reveal and Unexpected Contestants
The Spooktacular special of The Masked Singer UK, known for its extravagant reveals and suspenseful performances, introduced Marcella Detroit as the latest celebrity to be unmasked. The 73-year-old singer, best known for her role in Shakespears Sister and her chart-topping hit “Stay,” faced off in a tense sing-off against Sloth before being revealed as the iconic Gargoyle. This shocking twist is the latest in a series of high-profile reveals for the 2026 season, which began airing on January 3, 2026.
Marcella, who is 73, had previously displayed her fresh-faced complexion in a post on Instagram, leaving fans praising her ‘radiant’ appearance.
The singer had posted a selfie with the caption: ‘Sometimes a girl just has to try new skincare products!! Clinique??!! No way.’
Her post sparked many of Marcella’s followers to share their surprise at her complexion.
They wrote: ‘Purdy! Gosh I wish I had skin like yours!; Your skin is beautiful!
‘Def got a glow!!; Just listening to I Believe on the radio and thought I’d look you up. Google says you are 73… surely that’s wrong? Looking at this picture, it has to be wrong!?!?!?
‘You are radiant.’
Viewers saw Marcella unmasked as Gargoyle during Saturday’s show, which featured an unseasonably spooky theme.
Marcella Detroit, a veteran of the music industry, made waves as part of the Grammy-nominated Shakespears Sister in the late 80s and early 90s. Her powerhouse vocals contributed to the band’s success, most notably their hit single “Stay,” which topped the UK charts for eight consecutive weeks in 1992. Detroit also carved out a successful solo career and has collaborated with prominent artists like Eric Clapton and David Bowie. Despite her decades-long career, her true identity as Gargoyle had viewers and panelists guessing until the dramatic reveal.
‘The voice totally makes sense now! I knew I bl***y recognised it!’
‘Wow no wonder she can sing.’
‘MY MUM SAID MARCELLA! I had no idea, but she knew!!’
‘NO FRICKIN WAY.’
Throughout the show, panelists and fans were left to decode clues, with several cryptic references pointing to Detroit’s musical career. Among the hints were three peppers on stage, a nod to her appearance in the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” film, and a misspelled “Gargoyl” poster, referencing the dropped vowel from Shakespears Sister. Although guesses ranged from Cyndi Lauper to Ruby Wax, the panel was caught off guard by the reveal.
After being unmasked, Detroit shared her reflections on the experience, describing her time on the show as an incredible journey. “I was really sad to be eliminated,” she said, but added that she relished the mystique of performing anonymously. “There’s a mystic about it. It’s kind of challenging, but it’s also fun because no one really knows who you are,” she explained.
The Gargoyle’s final performance on the show featured a powerful rendition of “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence, showcasing Detroit’s vocal prowess. Meanwhile, Sloth delivered a rendition of “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell, which had the panel guessing names like David Dickinson and even comedian David Baddiel. The episode concluded with the promise of more shocking reveals and performances to come in the coming weeks.
The 2026 season of The Masked Singer UK has already seen a diverse lineup of contestants, including the likes of Red Panda, Yak, Disc Jockey, and Teabag. Notably, Red Panda’s performance was delayed following a tragedy in Switzerland, but the character will be back on stage in upcoming episodes. As the competition intensifies, contestants such as Monkey Business and Toastie are all vying for the coveted crown, and viewers can expect more surprises as the season progresses.
With its blend of suspense, humor, and celebrity intrigue, The Masked Singer UK continues to captivate audiences, proving once again that no one is safe from the mask.
Asked how she felt about leaving the competition, Marcella said: ‘I’m really sad to go. It’s been an incredible experience. Everyone has been so nice and so much fun. Very helpful, really kind.
‘I got the offer at the beginning of the summer and my husband is British and we have wanted to come back to England for quite some time. My husband has been wonderful in that he has come to live with me in America for a few decades, but he was missing his homeland and we’ve been saying after the pandemic happened, we really want to get back to England and spend some time there.
‘Then we got this opportunity, the universe just put it in our laps, we were like “oh my god, this is so perfect”. So that was one of the reasons and I also thought it would be so much fun.’
