Jonathan Ross says ITV asked Masked Singer judges to ‘take pay cut’ ahead of series two

Ross also said he finds bizarre singing competition more fun to make than his chat show

Jonathan Ross has revealed that he and his fellow judges on The Masked Singer all “happily” took pay cuts ahead of series two.

The ITV series, in which a panel must try and guess the identities of masked and costumed stars, concludes tonight (13 February) following a successful second run.

Despite the show being a hit for the channel, however, its regular cast members all took a pay cut in advance of filming. Ross said that he, Rita Ora, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan had no problem with their new, smaller salaries.

“ITV is funded by advertising and revenue hasn’t been as much as it has in previous years,” the chat show host explained to The Mirror. “So they’ve asked people to take cuts, and all of us very happily [and] immediately said ‘yes’ to taking a cut on our wages in series two.”

He continued: “We love doing it, I’m looking forward to doing it again because it’s a fun way to spend the evening.”

Read more: The Masked Singer: Who is Sausage?

Ross also said that he enjoys making the show more than he enjoys filming his chat show.

“It’s hard work,” he revealed. “I’ve got to interview a bunch of people, make sure there’s common ground, keep the show going and bring the energy. It’s all on me. On Masked Singer, I’m as much a viewer as a participant.”

Read more: The Masked Singer: Who is Robin?

Celebrities unmasked on this series of The Masked Singer have so far included Gabrielle, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mel B, Sue Perkins and Lenny Henry.

Only Sausage, Badger and Robin are left to be unmasked in tonight’s final episode.

Read more: The Masked Singer: Who is Badger?

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