The Masked Dancer first aired on ITV on the 29th of May 2021 and quickly became a household name in the country. It is now a popular show to watch and bet on, with many of the UK's biggest bookmakers picking the show.
This guide reviews The Masked Dancer in the UK, how you can bet on the show and the best betting sites for the show.
Reality TV shows in the UK are getting more popular by the day, drawing millions of enthusiastic viewers per airing. The best part is it's not just the common folk enjoying the drama and elimination; betting sites are joining the action too. Many people don't know this, but it's possible to bet on your favourite reality show, such as Love Island or The Masked Singer. The latter is the original show from which The Masked Dancer is a spinoff.
The Masked Dancer features 12 celebrity contestants whose identities are concealed behind full-body costumes. The contestants dance and offer hints as to who they might be while the judges try to determine each contestant's true identity. This format makes it one of the best TV shows to wager on since, along with the judges, viewers can also try to identify which celebrities are hiding behind the masks.
The first season of The Masked Dancer premiered in May 2021, becoming one of the most-viewed reality TV shows in the UK. The show's origin is in Korea, and it's basically a spinoff of The Masked Singer, which features celebrities singing instead of dancing. Comedian Joel Dommett hosts the UK show.
The winner of the first series of The Masked Dancer was Louis Smith, who was masked as 'The Carwash.' In 2nd place was Bonnie Langford, masked as Squirrel, and the 2nd runners-up award was scooped by Howard Donald, masked as Zip.
The second season will have a total of seven episodes that are 90 minutes long, and it will be aired on ITV on Saturday evenings from the 3rd of September. The Masked Dancer will air from 6.30 pm and run through to the 22nd of October.
The Masked Dancer is hosted by Joel Dommett, a comedian of great repute and an incredible sense of humour. Joel has also had roles in famous TV shows like Live in Chelsea, Impractical Jokers UK, and I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out Here!
The panellists include;
Other celebrities who have previously made an appearance on The Masked Dancer UK as guest panellists include;
If you have previously watched The Masked Singer, you will definitely understand the format of its sister show, The Masked Dancer. Instead of the celebrity contestants hitting us with musical notes, the dance moves count on this show.
A total of 12 celebrity contestants, fully dressed from head to toe in colourful costumes and masks, will perform unique dances, and it will be up to the panellists and viewers to guess their identities. The contestants will also drop clues on their identities while performing their dancing routines.
The contestants will face off directly, and the winner between the two goes to the next round while the loser is at risk of elimination. Only a single contestant is unmasked every week, which gives viewers a chance to know whether their guesses of who is behind the mask were correct.
This format is repeated until there are two finalists.
Celebrity guests form the panel and give their verdicts on the contestants' performances. The panellists on this year's The Masked Dancer show include Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Obi Matuse, and Peter Crouch. He replaced Mo Gilligan, a panellist on the show's first series.
The show will have seven episodes aired weekly on ITV at 6.30 pm and on the ITV hub.
It's not complicated to place a wager on The Masked Dancer. First, you need to choose a reliable betting site that offers markets for The Masked Dancer. Luckily, many leading betting sites in the UK provide markets for The Masked Dancer.
The best betting sites for such a reality TV show offer a wide range of markets and have the best value for odds offered. After identifying the betting site with the highest odds, create an account (if you don’t have an account with the bookie), which is pretty straightforward.
Most betting sites in the UK will require bits of your personal information like name and address to be successfully registered. The next step will be verifying the account via a link sent to your email or via Know Your Customer, which involves uploading an ID to a betting site via email; some betting sites in the UK have an in-house uploading tool for this.
After creating and verifying your account at a betting site (this guide will later touch on the best betting sites for The Masked Dancer in the UK), it's time to fund your account. Most betting sites allow deposits from various payment methods like Visa and Master Cards or online wallets like PayPal and Neteller.
Now you need to browse the Masked Dancer betting markets. There are various types of bets to place for The Masked Dancer.
In a nutshell, the most popular wager is on the winning contestant. You'll just need to click on the contestant you think will win and add it to your bet slip. You can identify the contestant via their costume on the betting site.
Once satisfied with your selection, enter the amount of money you want to wager, confirm the bet, and it's game on.
Betting on reality television shows like The Masked Dancer has become exceedingly popular in the UK. This is why it isn't that hard to find a betting site in the UK that offers markets on The Masked Dancer.
Paddy Power is one of the best betting sites in the UK with great odds and markets — not just for The Masked Dancer but other reality TV shows in the UK like Strictly Come Dancing and Love Island. Their selection of markets for entertainment betting is unrivalled.
Paddy Power has been in the betting business for several decades, so you'll be guaranteed a smooth gambling experience — whether on entertainment betting like wagering on The Masked Dancer or other sportsbook bets.
If you want a first-class experience on gambling, then William Hill is the website to go for. To place a bet on The Masked Dancer, sign up and log in to your account. You'll find a TV/Specials section on the sidebar of the betting site where you'll find The Masked Dancer and other reality TV shows.
William Hill has a wide variety of markets, and the odds are some of the highest in the UK. Another advantage of William Hill over other betting sites offering markets on The Masked Dancer is their generous promotions, so take advantage of that.
Betfair is a solid option for betting on The Masked Dancer and other reality TV shows. Their odds may not be as high as William Hill or Paddy Power, but their choice of markets is as good as you'll find on any other betting site. This means that there are so many ways to bet on The Masked Dancer that you are bound to find a suitable market to get you some good profits.
If you've been an ardent follower of The Masked Dancer, then your knowledge of the show will work to your advantage when choosing suitable markets.
Bet365 has an excellent variety of markets; hence you can place plenty of bets as The Masked Dancer progresses. There is also in-play betting meaning that you can change your bets or cash out while The Masked Dancer is still going on.
Bet365 also has a decent loyalty program with great reward schemes, so make sure to check out their promotions section.
Ladbrokes is a well-known betting brand due to its outstanding odds and likeable website. This makes it a go-to website for betting on reality TV shows like The Masked Dancer. Their website is both PC and mobile-friendly.
Ladbrokes also has a generous welcome bonus on your first deposit, so you might want to go big on your first deposit.
There are several betting options for The Masked Dancer. We have expounded on some popular markets below;
This is a simple bet where you place a wager on who you think will win The Masked Dancer. Since there is no way for viewers to know which contestant is behind a particular costume, the bet is placed for a specific character. The list of options for this market is by their outfit, and it's perhaps the most apparent betting market for The Masked Dancer.
In the first series of The Masked Dancer, the winner turned out to be the former Olympic gymnast Louis Smith who was masked as The Carwash.
One of the main objectives of The Masked Dancer is for viewers and panellists to guess who is behind a particular costume. The celebrity contestants will drop clues about their identities while performing their dance acts. So one of the ways to cash in on this market is to pay close attention to their hints and take a guess.
This is also made easier by the bookies offering odds on several celebrities that may be behind the masks, and the onus is on you to choose one and place your bet.
Suppose you think a particular contestant on The Masked Dancer is weak, then you can place a bet on them to be eliminated in the next round. This is an engaging bet, especially if you've been following the show from the beginning.
This is also a straightforward market, although it's not as popular as the markets we've discussed above. Just place a bet on what gender you think will emerge as the winner.
In this market, viewers have to guess who among the contestants will make it to the finals. It’s a safe bet because it’s not limited to one contestant — several of them have to make it to the final. If you’re a regular follower of the show, this is a lucrative market to set your sights on.
The number one rule for betting is that winning is not guaranteed. This is true for betting on reality TV shows like The Masked Dancer because the favourites do not always win, and there is always a lowly-rated character that goes the distance. So with these two factors in mind, here are a few betting strategies you can use to your advantage.
Choosing the bookmaker with great odds for the market you want to place your bet on is essential. Luckily for you, all the betting websites we have listed in this review offer some of the best odds you can find for The Masked Dancer. Better odds mean more profits, so finding the best odds for any particular market is crucial.
If you're betting on The Masked Dancer for the first time, then using bet offers is a fantastic way to get you started. Just join your website of choice and take advantage of their betting sign-up offers, which may even include a free bet. In fact, all the UK betting sites listed in this detailed review have freebies for new users, although some are limited to sports betting.
A betting site like Paddy Power has free bet offers for existing customers, provided they meet a few conditions.
Watching the show gives you a better perspective on which markets to bet on. The eye test is an excellent way to judge a character. You’ll also be up to date with the judges' opinions and the general public's on all the contestants.
Steven is responsible for all content on BettingGuide UK. He is an experienced iGaming content writer that has been working in the industry since 2018. If you have any questions regarding online gambling in the UK, don't hesitate to contact him.