The Masked Dancer: Dita Von Teese is unveiled as Beetroot

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Dita Von Teese was unmasked as Beetroot on Monday night’s edition of The Masked Dancer as she joked she would rather be ‘taking her clothes off’ on stage.  

The American burlesque star, 48, became the third celebrity to be revealed on the show after the judges decided to save Knickerbocker Glory after they went head-to-head. 

The judges were all wrong with their guesses with Jonathan Ross picking Mary Berry, Mo Gilligan choosing Kelly Osbourne, Davina McCall guessing Kim Cattrall and Oti Mabuse picking Miley Cyrus. 

After her big reveal, Dita – real name Heather Sweet – joked: ‘I’d rather be up here taking my clothes off, I’d feel more comfortable!’ 

The burlesque star left the judging panel stunned with Davina, 53, exclaiming: ‘I can’t believe it… I love this show!’

Talking about her love for dance, Dita said: ‘I always say I was a failed ballerina, I wanted to be a ballerina more than anything in the world. My ballet teachers were like, “Oh your arms and legs are great!” but I can’t follow choreography.’ 

Earlier in the show, the performer teased as a clue: ‘I’m really proving to the panel that I have layers, they will be crying like those dancing onions.’

To which Davina pointed out: ‘Onions… peeling off layers’ as a nod at Dita’s career as a burlesque performer.

Dita also said as an earlier clue, ‘all of my biggest fans live in Hollywood’, which was a nod at her feathered fans that she dances with. 

Talking about taking part in the show, the star said: ‘I thought it would be fun to do something unexpected and out of character for me… 

‘I’ve never done anything like this, and I’m not a competitive person, but I knew it would be hilarious. I also knew people wouldn’t expect me to be under the mask.’

Dita admitted that she was ‘nervous’ about taking part, she said: ‘I was also nervous about taking on The Masked Dancer because my dance experience is limited to ballet, and social dances from the 1930s and 40s, and, of course, striptease.

‘I never expected to go far in the competition but I knew it would be difficult for them to guess me and I knew I’d be unique.’

Talking about keeping her involvement in the show a secret, Dita continued: ‘It wasn’t easy. 

‘I’d get quizzed a lot, especially since I was in London for a month at a time when it was really difficult to travel and some people don’t let up on trying to figure it out. 

‘Most of the people around me guessed I was on a top secret Drag Race episode or occasionally they’d guess Masked Singer so of course I would say, “… I would NEVER!”, which IS totally true. Singing live is my worst nightmare. 

‘And I’d diffuse the third degree further by telling them, “listen, it’ll be funnier if you don’t know until it airs on TV.” 

‘I’m hoping to host a screening for my LA friends so they can point and laugh at the Beetroot struggling in the group dance numbers and losing the dance off to Knickerbocker Glory. 

‘We Americans don’t even know what a Knickerbocker Glory is! Maybe I’ll host my own masked dancer/singer contest as a party. I love a theme party, especially ones with performances involved.’

Talking about what she enjoyed about being Beetroot, Dita continued: ‘Beetroot was quite glamorous! I loved her leafy, flowy, hand painted silk dress, and her beet-hued Swarovski covered dancing shoes.’

Dita added that her visibility was compromised ‘quite a bit’ with her mask and that she was ready for how ‘difficult it would be’.

She said: ‘I was nervous for soooo many reasons and pretty much always. I wasn’t ready for how difficult it would be to navigate with the mask on. My visibility was compromised quite a bit, so my balance was off.

‘I literally could not see if someone was gesturing two feet in front of me. Then the inner-ears device created an added impairment for me. I am sure singers are accustomed to it. 

‘And Beetroot had a few moves in the choreography she could do fine in rehearsal but not with all the gear on. And don’t get me started on how that psychedelic high-tech floor complicated things! It was all very psychedelic, the whole experience.’

Joking about what occasion she would choose to wear her costume for again, Dita said: ‘Maybe for my Glamonatrix show at The London Palladium so the Beetroot can finally perform a striptease!’ 

On Monday’s show, Beetroot went head-to-head with Knickerbocker Glory after finding themselves in the bottom two, with the latter saved by the judges.    

Knickerbocker Glory performed their ‘best performance yet’ to The Pointer Sisters’ I’m So Excited while Beetroot danced to Elle King’s Ex’s & Oh’s.

After the performances, the duo had to reveal a ‘true clue’ but it could either be about themselves or their opponent.

Knickerbocker Glory coyly said: ‘All of my biggest fans live in Hollywood…’ while Beetroot teased: ‘I perform with a weird choral groove…’ 

Elsewhere, it was revealed that as well as Knickerbocker Glory going through to the next round, Zip, Llama, and Scarecrow would also be advancing on the series.

It comes after Louise Redknapp was unmasked as Flamingo on Sunday night’s edition of The Masked Dancer.

The singer, 46, became the second celebrity to be revealed on the show after the judges decided to save Squirrel and Frog, but she said being on the show helped ‘get her out the house’ after a ‘tough year’.

Jonathan Ross was the only judge to correctly guess her identity, as fellow panellist Oti Mabuse picked Lisa Snowdon, while Mo Gilligan guessed Maya Jama, and Davina McCall picked Dani Dyer.

Oti was particularly surprised to see Louise on the show after they danced together during the Strictly Come Dancing tour.

She said: ‘We’ve done dance classes together, we were on tour together, Strictly final together, there was one move where I thought it could be you but then I thought your costume is very pink and Louise would never wear pink!’

Of why she wanted to be on the show, Louise gushed: ‘I love dancing and I think after such a tough year in lockdown I thought I really need to get out of the house, and it’s brought a massive smile to my face.’

Louise admitted her sons Charles, 16, and Beau, 12, were not aware she was making an appearance on the show. 

Louise’s clues referenced her as a showbiz reporter, harking back to her days working for Icon Magazine.

A wedding invitation appeared in her VT which for the wedding between a farmer and their fiancée, and Jonathan correctly guessed referred to the show Farmer Wants A Wife, which she hosted.

Discussing her extravagant costume, Louise said: ‘My mask was really big, and when else do you get to dance as a flamingo?’

She also joked that she ‘was up against an amazing chicken’, referring to her face off with Rubber Chicken, so it was no wonder she didn’t make it through to the next episode.  

Elsewhere, Oti is convinced that Beagle could be Louise’s ex-husband Jamie, after references to football and how he was shown reading a book about trees.

The Strictly Come Dancing star claimed that the book was referring to someone who has a famous family tree, and as Harry Redknapp is Jamie’s father she was convinced he was the person under the mask.

Taking to Instagram after she was revealed, Louise gushed: ‘Always be yourself… unless you can be a flamingo then always be a flamingo!

‘Thanks for having me @itv @maskeddanceruk / Masked Dancer – was so much fun to get out the house and do some dancing! 

‘Thanks to all the team who work on the show and all the incredibly talented dancers and choreographers was a pleasure to work with you all.’

Referring to her children’s shock at her appearance on the show, she added: ‘P.s I don’t think Beau was expecting to see me then Xxx’

Alongside pictures of herself in costume, Louise also shared a video of her and son Beau watching the programme during the unmasking.

While her son appeared more interested in his phone but his attention was grabbed when it was revealed she was Flamingo.

Beau was seen looking from the TV screen to his mum sat next to him in shock as she laughed at his reaction. 

Jordan Banjo was the first celebrity to be unmasked as Viper during Saturday night’s show, after he lost out when the judges chose to save Knickerbocker Glory and Beetroot instead.

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 who was a professional boxer, 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.’

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. 

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 put through the second round on Saturday’s show, while Beagle, Carwash, and Rubber Chicken automatically went through on Sunday. 

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.   

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. 

Oti – who is the reigning pro on Strictly Come Dancing – brings with her her experience as a judge on seasons one and two of BBC show The Greatest Dancer. 

ITV revealed earlier this week that John Bishop, David Walliams and Holly Willoughby will appear as guest judges, alongside the regular panel. 

Holly said of joining as a guest panellist: ‘How the Masked Dancers are able to pull off the moves they’re doing in these costumes is mind blowing!

‘I absolutely loved joining the panel as a special guest and getting to play detective. You’re all in for a real treat.’ 

John added: ‘I went to The Masked Dancer recording not sure what it would be like, but it was the most fun I’ve had for a long time.

‘The show is crazy – but in a good way – and seeing the video wall with all the viewers and families at home watching gives it an extra spice. It was a really fun evening and I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

And David, usually seen behind the Britain’s Got Talent judging desk, said: ‘I had a blast being a guest judge on the show. It is so silly and fun that you can’t help but have the best time.

‘Joel and the other judges made me feel so welcome. It is much harder than judging BGT though. This is more like having to be a detective!’

The Masked Dancer continues on Tuesday 1 June at 7.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub.