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While Network 10 likes to keep their Masked Singer celebrities under wraps, they have officially unveiled the all-new judging panel for the next season of the singing competition.
Along with current judge Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes, new faces Chrissie Swan, Abbie Chatfield and former Spice Girl Mel B will be taking seats at the bench as they attempt to guess which celebrities are hiding under the elaborate costumes.
In a post announcing the new line-up, the official Masked Singer Instagram account wrote: “We’re never short of surprises, so we’ve decided to give you three! Let’s hear it for our new Panelists!
“@chrissieswan, @abbiechatfield and @officialmelb join @dhughesy and our favourite Host @osher_gunsberg on #MaskedSingerAU 👏”
Chrissie Swan, Abbie Chatfield and Mel B are joining ‘Hughesy’ as judges of The Masked Singer.
(Image: Network 10)
Former Masked Singer contestants were quick to share their support for the panel.
Singers Jack Vidgen and Alli Simpson, both of whom shared a screen with Abbie Chatfield during their joint stint on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, took to the comments section, with the former penning “Iconic” and the latter writing “👏🏼👏🏼😍”.
Meanwhile, the new judges themselves also shared their excitement about joining the hit show via their respective Instagram accounts.
Chrissie Swan said she was “thrilled” to be joining the “stellar judging panel”, while calling the program “the most delightfully bonkers show on tv”.
Jack Vidgen appeared as the ‘Kebab’ on the last season of The Masked Singer.
(Image: Network 10)Abbie Chatfield similarly called the experience an “honour”, while Mel B wrote she was “delighted” to join the judging panel.
Hughesy also shared his excitement for “fun times ahead”.
The announcement of the new judging panel comes soon after former judge Jackie O revealed she was leaving the show to spend more time with her daughter, Kitty.
Sharing a behind-the-scenes picture of herself with her former co-stars, Dannii Minogue, Urzila Carlson, and Hughesy, on the Masked Singer set, the presenter called her time on the show “the most fun (she’d) ever had on TV”.
“If someone had told me years ago that I’d be on a show with singing and dancing prawns, unicorns and an octopus, I would have thought they were crazy!” she wrote on Instagram.
“Along came The Masked Singer which gave me years of the most fun I’ve ever had on TV due largely to the fact that I worked with an amazing panel and host who have become lifelong friends, @danniiminogue, @urzilacarlson, @dhughesy & @osher_gunsberg.
“It’s been an incredibly tough decision but I’ve decided to step away this year.”
Jackie O announced she was leaving The Masked Singer to spend more time with her daughter, Kitty.
(Image: Network 10)She continued: “Filming always coincides with school holidays and after 3 years of missing out I’ve decided to spend my mid year radio break holidaying with my daughter whilst she’s still happy to hang out with her mum 🤦♀️ 🤦♀️ I look forward to watching the show from the couch ❤️❤.”
J️ackie was the third judge to resign from the reality show, with comedian Urzila making her exit in May just two weeks before Dannii Minogue.
