The judging panel and viewers alike were stunned when it was revealed that The Masked Singer's Rat was none other than Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas.

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Giving her rendition of Nellie the Elephant by Toy Dolls, the judges guessed the likes of Kerry Katona, Jodie Whittaker and Claire Sweeney, but no one came close to who was under the mask.

Since being unmasked, Ballas has credited the show as the highlight of her career.

"I have to say I've had many experiences. That's by far the highlight of my career," she told RadioTimes.com and other press.

She continued: "I enjoyed every minute of it. And I am desperately wanting them to give me the rat so I can stuff him and put him in a corner in my house because he is family for me now."

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She continued: "I enjoyed every minute of it. And I am desperately wanting them to give me the rat so I can stuff him and put him in a corner in my house, because he is family for me now."

Saturday night's episode saw a sing-off take place between Rat and Dippy Egg, and unfortunately that meant Ballas's time on the competition came to an end, but she loved every bit of it.

Ballas told RadioTimes.com and other press: "I'm never going to say [I was] robbed because for me, it was an experience. You should've seen me at the beginning, just trying to hold a note and doing all the sales. I think everybody on that show is brilliant and I just take it with grace.

"And grateful for the fact that I got an opportunity to wear such a fabulous costume and to be around my team. [They] were so fabulous and took care of me so greatly that they'll be friends for life."

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As for who could under the Dippy Egg mask, the Strictly judge has her suspicions.

She said: "I think Ed Balls is one of them for sure. Maybe Ed Balls and Lamar possibly. I'm not really sure but I wonder if Dippy Egg is. Ed Balls maybe."

Only time will tell who is behind the Dippy Egg mask, but next week viewers will get to see more masked celebrities perform for the audience and judges. Those include Air Fryer, Bubble Tea, Owl, Eiffel Tower and Piranha, with Jennifer Saunders joining the panel as a guest panellist.

The Masked Singer UK continues Saturday 20th January on ITV. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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