The Masked Singer’s Snow Leopard leaves in second elimination

Broadcaster Gloria Hunniford has been revealed as the latest celebrity crooner to be knocked out of The Masked Singer talent show.

Hunniford, 81, appeared as the Snow Leopard on the ITV programme but her true identity was correctly guessed by panellist Jonathan Ross.

The Loose Women star said she had taken up the role because she wanted to do something different, adding: “I’m of a certain age and it was a challenge. It sounded like a lot of fun and I thought I’d like to try it.”

She performed against other masked celebrities including Bagpipes, Rockhopper, Poodle, Panda and Traffic Cone.

Hunniford said later that it had been “very, very hard” to keep her part in the show a secret.

She said: “Even to this day only three people in my family know. You get to the point that you are so afraid of mentioning it that as time passes, you look back and think did I actually do that? I’m looking forward to seeing the finished show.”

She said her family, particularly her grandchildren, will be surprised she took part.

She added: “I think they are all going to be absolutely amazed, particularly my rather grown-up grandchildren, because they wouldn’t have heard me do anything like that before or seen me do anything like that before.

“I only sing occasionally and after a few glasses of wine so they wouldn’t be expecting anything. I think it will be amazing.

She said she loved the character and the costume which helped her to perform.

“I think when you are hiding behind the costume it does take away some of the nerves. The biggest nerves that I had was the fact that I couldn’t see where I was going,” Hunniford said.

The Masked Singer, which is on ITV and ITV Hub, continues on Saturdays at 7pm.