Masked Singer Fan's Comprehensive Clue Analysis Points to Ben Shephard as Conkers
As the grand finale of The Masked Singer approaches tonight, airing at 7pm on ITV1, speculation is reaching fever pitch over the identities of the three remaining celebrities: Conkers, Moth, and Toastie. In a remarkable display of detective work, one ardent fan has meticulously dissected every clue, presenting a compelling case that beloved TV host Ben Shephard is the person inside the Conkers costume.
The Overwhelming Evidence Supporting the Ben Shephard Theory
The fan, posting on Reddit, began by stating, "I thought I'd make a compilation - a conkilation, if you will - about why I think Conkers could be Ben Shephard." They then proceeded to list what they described as "concrete and conclusive clues" that align perfectly with Shephard's career and personal life.
First and foremost, the fan highlighted the distinctive voice, noting that from the very first performance, they heard Ben Shephard's familiar tones, drawing parallels to previous contestants Sue Perkins and Katherine Ryan where vocal recognition proved key. The clue "Heart made of Lego" was linked to Shephard's cameo in The Lego Ninjago Movie, while "Ghosts don't scare me" was interpreted as a reference to his good friend Chris Kamara, who previously appeared as Ghost on the show, and the ghost drops feature on Tipping Point.
Career References and Personal Connections
The analysis delved deep into Shephard's extensive television career. The clue "Drumsticks" was connected to his hosting of Phil Collins: One Night Only. "Peaked your interest & Downhill from here" was seen as alluding to his Comic Relief Kilimanjaro climb and new show The Summit. "Sam's Tavern songs" was linked to his many music TV and radio shows, plus the fact his son is named Sam.
References to Coronation Street surnames like Barlow, Platt, Cropper, and Webster were interpreted as nods to Shephard being a comic crush of character Mary Taylor on the soap. The phrase "Weathered storm, leveled field" was seen as a clever play on Weatherfield, the fictional setting of Coronation Street.
Quiz Show Terminology and Celebrity Friendships
The fan pointed out numerous references to Shephard's hosting of Tipping Point, including "Extra time to get in the zone" (zone being a Tipping Point term), "Mentions of the edge" (another TP reference), and "No point whining" (playing on the word point).
Celebrity connections were also highlighted. "I'll be there for you" was linked to Shephard's cameo appearance in Friends season 8. "Set the bar low" was connected to his friendship with Gary Barlow, having climbed Kilimanjaro with him and appearing on his Wine Tour show.
Additional Supporting Evidence
The fan noted that "The Heat is on" references Shephard's work on Heat Radio, while "Abs from Five" alludes to his well-known physique featured in Men's Health magazine. "Spinning a yarn" was interpreted as Yarn = Wool = Sheep = Shephard through word association.
Other career highlights mentioned include hosting The Bigger Breakfast ("If they go big, go bigger"), The Krypton Factor ("Elements that would've made ever Superman feel weak"), and numerous quiz shows ("Keep answers to myself"). The fan also found it suspicious that when panelists mentioned Ben's name as a guess, there was no reaction whatsoever from the costume.
Fan Consensus and Final Thoughts
The fan concluded their extensive analysis by stating, "To Conclude, the biggest pointers towards Ben for me are the Tipping Point terms, and references to Friends, Jenni Falconer, Cold Feet, Bigger Breakfast, and Heat Radio." They added that these clues are "all too niche to be red herrings" for someone the panel hasn't seriously considered yet.
On social media platform X, formerly Twitter, many viewers expressed agreement with this assessment. One user wrote, "Conkers is soooo ben shepherd," while another commented, "It's hard to place Conkers voice with other than Ben Shephard's tbh!"
The Masked Singer fan emphasized their enjoyment of the research process, stating, "I like the research side of the show, delving into all the little clues, because yes they are cryptic and difficult, but when you get the right person everything falls into place." They humorously added that they have "too much time on my hands" for such detailed analysis.
All will be revealed tonight as Conkers, Moth, and Toastie are finally unmasked during The Masked Singer final on ITV1 at 7pm.
