Take It Off! Take It Off!
If you have joined in with these words and shouted them at your telly on a Saturday night, you know exactly what we mean. The Masked Singer has become a phenomenon, drawing massive audiences and luring well-known celebrities into a role they never planned for.
What you might not know is that Plunge Creations, which creates all the lavish costumes, is based in Portslade Village. Now they are bringing a collection together to exhibit at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, launching this week with their new show, Making the Masked Singer.
Opening on 24 October 2026 and running until 6 June 2027, Making the Masked Singer brings together 24 complete costumes and seven individual character heads from seven seasons of the hit ITV show, giving visitors an extraordinary up-close look at the characters that have entertained and fooled millions of viewers.
The line-up includes memorable favourites such as Hedgehog, worn by Jason Manford; Fox, worn by Denise van Outen; Tree, worn by Teddy Sheringham; Badger, worn by Ne-Yo; Mushroom, worn by Charlotte Church; Pigeon, worn by Katherine Ryan; Phoenix, worn by Ricky Wilson; Pufferfish, worn by Samantha Barks; and Dressed Crab, worn by Gregory Porter.
The exhibition will also display characters from more recent series, including Moth, Conkers and Giant Joel, alongside individual character heads, including Unicorn, Bush Baby, Snow Leopard, Fawn, Maypole and Monkey Business. But this exhibition goes far beyond the famous faces behind the masks. For the first time, visitors will discover how these extraordinary costumes are made, shining a spotlight on the Sussex-based makers who turn wild ideas into television magic.
The costumes combine costume-making, sculpture, engineering, prop-making and specialist fabrication. Each had to be spectacular, wearable, and able to conceal the celebrity inside while letting them perform under the bright lights of a television studio.
If you want to get a little closer to the TV hit, head to the Brighton Museum on Church Street from this weekend.
Visitor information can be found here.
Find more arts and culture reviews at Brighton and Hove News – Follow @BHCitywhatson and @bhcitynews on Instagram.
Covering everything from fringe theatre to major tours across Brighton and Hove – tag us if you’re going
