The Masked Dancer: Jordan Banjo is REVEALED as Viper

Jordan Banjo was unveiled as Viper on The Masked Dancer’s debut show on Saturday night. 

The Diversity star, 28, was unmasked after he lost out when the judges chose to save Knickerbocker Glory and Beetroot instead, but viewers were convinced he was Love Island star Tommy Fury.

Both judges Oti Mabuse and Mo Gilligan guessed Jordan’s identity correctly, but Davina McCall thought he was Anthony Joshua, and Jonathan Ross went with Tommy. 

Jordan, while sad to be eliminated from the show first, said it was ‘all worth it’ because he was compared to Anthony Joshua on TV.

His clues included having a boxer in the family, referring to his father Funso, and his son Cassius, who is named after Mohammed Ali, formerly knows as Cassius Clay.  

He said of doing the show: ‘The past 12 months everyone has been in the place where it hasn’t been fun and something like The Masked Dancer, dressing stupid was just fun.’

Jordan added that he felt Oti ‘didn’t come to play’ as she immediately threw his name into the ring after his performance.

The Strictly Come Dancing star admitted it was because she’d previously performed with Diversity, as she said: ‘I know how you move.’

He also admitted that he found it hard not to laugh while Mo cracked jokes during the judge’s deliberation, and he claimed: ‘you got me man, I thought stop making me laugh!’

Jonathan also quipped: ‘I didn’t guess you, but to me you’ll always be a better-looking Anthony Joshua.’ 

Before he was unmasked, viewers were convinced Viper was Love Island star Tommy because of the references to having a boxer in the family, as his half-brother is heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Viewers took to Twitter to share how convinced they were it was Tommy, given the clue about boxing and an apparent reference to Love Island, which Oti pointed out during the VT. 

During the show, the virtual audience decided which dancer from each face-off would go through automatically into the next round.

Zip, Llama and Scarecrow were selected by the viewers to appear in the next episode, which is set to air on Monday. 

Following their dance, each performer also gave a special clue known as Mind The Gaps, where they shared a sentence with two key words missing to hint at their identity. 

The Masked Dancer sees 12 celebrity contestants perform unique dances, whilst covered from head to toe in extravagant, colourful costumes and masks, leaving the viewers and star panel to guess their identities. 

They take to the stage dressed as extravagant alter egos that will also include a zip, a carwash, a beagle, a squirrel, a viper, a rubber chicken, a flamingo, a knickerbocker glory and a llama. 

Each fantastical costume is constructed with choreography in mind, and provides each dancer with plenty of limb freedom. 

Oti joined the show in March after it was confirmed that Rita Ora would not appear on the show, despite being a judge on The Masked Singer – on which the show is based.