The Masked Singer‘s Red Panda was axed from Saturday night’s episode just hours before it was due to air.
ITV bosses had to step in to remove what was deemed an ‘insensitive performance’, in light of the deadly Switzerland NYE fire that killed 40 people.
The broadcaster confirmed they had scrapped Red Panda’s first appearance entirely, following concerns over the song choice and the staging of the routine.
The mystery celebrity was due to perform the 1976 song, Disco Inferno by The Trammps, with dancers reportedly wearing fire-style suits, a detail that was later deemed ill-judged, given the devastating New Years Eve tragedy in Switzerland.
An ITV spokesperson said: ‘In light of the tragic events in Switzerland, we took the decision to remove Red Panda’s performance on The Masked Singer owing to potential insensitivities within the theme and lyrics of the song.
ITV stressed that Red Panda – and the celebrity inside the costume – would remain part of the 2026 series and would return to the stage in upcoming episodes.
The Masked Singer’s Red Panda was axed from Saturday night’s episode just hours before it was due to air – following the deadly Swiss NYE fire that killed 40 people
They added: ‘Viewers will get to see Red Panda perform in the coming weeks.’
The decision to remove the performance followed a deadly fire at the Le Constellation bar in Switzerland on New Years Eve, where around 40 people were killed after a sudden blaze tore through the packed venue during New Year celebrations.
More than 200 young people had been crammed inside the popular Valais ski resort bar when the fire broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day, leaving dozens dead and hundreds suffering severe burns.
Authorities later confirmed a criminal investigation had been launched into how the fire began in the basement and spread so rapidly.
Owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti are being investigated on suspicion of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
It comes as The Masked Singer launched its seventh series on ITV this weekend.
As part of the line up, viewers were introduced to two bands, fronted by Goldfish and Emperor Penguin.
Goldfish was the lead singer of a band called No Trout, while Emperor Penguin leads the Antarctic Funkeys.
The opening episode of the series unveiled Anne-Marie as Goldfish, after she performed the viral hit APT by Bruno Mars and Rose.
The judges Mo Gilligan, Davina McCall, Jonatahn Ross and Maya Jama correctly identified the pop star.
Maya even went as far to joke: ‘If Goldfish isn’t Anne-Marie hit me with a fish’.
Reflecting on the experience, Anne-Marie said: ‘When I was at school, I had a very short attention span! I’m used to the voice just going that way [in front of me] but in the thing, it was like “Oh, that’s what I sound like!”‘
Following her performance of Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, The One Show host Alex Jones was revealed as Disc Jockey, with a double elimination.
The Welsh star described the experience as bizarre but said: ‘I have had a lot of fun. We love this programme, as a family, and I just thought, it would be a lot of fun and that to do it for my children would be wonderful.’
Previously, host Joel Dommett teased in a trailer: ‘This season, we’ve got the most unmaskings ever.’
To this end, there will reportedly be four unmaskings across the first two episodes.
Last series saw stage and screen actress Samantha Barks named the winner, having competed as ‘Pufferfish’.
She fought off stiff competition from ‘Dressed Crab’ (Gregory Porter) and ‘Wolf’ (Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow) to claim the victory.
Addressing everyone after her unveiling, Samantha said: ‘I’ve had the best time. Underneath the mask, I’ve been smiling so hard – it’s hurting my cheeks! It’s been amazing.’
The Masked Singer airs on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.