The following article may contain information which may (or may not) spoil the surprise of a forthcoming episode of the ITV’s ‘The Masked Singer.’

If you want to maintain the suspense for the show, we suggest you do not read any further.

Fans of the hit ITV singing content The Masked Singer think they’ve worked out who Pufferfish is.

And if they’re right, it's a familiar face to many in the Isle of Man.

Rumours are swirling around that Laxey-born singer Samantha Barks could be one of the celebrities competing on the popular gameshow.

The aim of the hit ITV show ‘The Masked Singer’ is for a panel of famous judges to listen to karaoke renditions performed by a number of secret celebrities before eliminating one of them at the end of each episode.

However, there’s a catch - no one knows who the celebrities are, as they are disguised and dressed as outlandish and sometimes bizarre characters.

Examples of these characters include names such as ‘Queen Bee’, ‘Sausage’, ‘Panda’, ‘Rhino’ and ‘Piranha’ - and each celebrity takes to the stage wearing a costume inspired by the names of their alter-egos.

Once a character is eliminated (for their poor singing skills), the identity of the celebrity behind the mask is revealed.

The show returned for its sixth series on January 4, and after three episodes, viewers have their suspicions that Les Misérables actress and West-End star Barks could be behind the mask of ‘Pufferfish’.

In the last episode, five characters - Bear, Toad in the Hole, Pufferfish, Bush and Wolf - took to the stage to perform karaoke, with Toad in the Hole being eliminated and later being revealed to be singer Macy Gray.

However, following the episode being aired, many viewers had suspicions that underneath the Pufferfish costume was none other than Sam Barks.

One viewer, posting on X, said: ‘I’ve done some investigating, and I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Pufferfish is Samantha Barks.

‘First of all, if you compare the singing to Samantha’s, that incredible voice is unmistakable.

‘Pufferfish also said that “the BRITs hold a special place in my heart” - Samantha famously performed at the classical BRITs on her birthday with Alfie Boe, and said it was the best day of her life.

‘Another clue is that Sam did an advert for PETA regarding pulling fish from the water, while references to Mamma Mia and Glee have been made - Sam did Mamma Mia on ITV with Amber Riley and Idina [Menzel] is famously in Glee and they both play Elsa [in the Frozen musical].

‘So there’s my theory - Samantha Barks has got to win this series!’

Another viewer wrote: ‘I’ve finally got Pufferfish - it’s Samantha Barks. She’s been in a film with Anita Dobson (Angie Watts) and another called Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart. The boots are the same as her colour on [her previous gameshow] “I’d Do Anything”.

‘She’s a sensational performer.’

A number of other viewers have also expressed their certainty that the Pufferfish comes from Laxey.

However, she’s not the only name in the frame.

Other fans online think Pufferfish may be none other than Jenna Ortego, star of the hit Netflix series ‘Wednesday’ and Beetlejuice 2 film.

To find out, you can watch the Masked Singer UK every Saturday at 7pm on ITV1.