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Jason Manford plays down The Masked Singer speculation

Jason Manford insists he is not Hedgehog on ‘The Masked Singer’, but admits his own kids even questioned whether it is him.
The 38-year-old comedian has ruled himself out of being the character on the ITV singing show – on which celebrities wear costumes to perform in disguise before eventually being unmasked – and admits his children thought he may have taken part in the programme.
He said: "I don’t want to spoil the show by saying no, but … no.
"I watched it myself last week for the first time with the kids and they asked me.
"My own kids asked me."
Jason believes Hedgehog could be fellow TV presenter Alexander Armstrong, or even singer Michael Ball.
He said: "I think it might be Alexander Armstrong, or Michael Ball."
Jason admits he simply wouldn’t have had the time to have recorded ‘The Masked Singer’, so there is "no way" it is him.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, he added: "I don’t know when I would’ve fitted it in. There’s no way. It would’ve been impossible."
Jason’s comments come a day after Jamie Redknapp admitted he was left confused when he was inundated with messages asking him if he was The Masked Singer’s Tree, because he hadn’t watched the show.
But he has confirmed he has not taken part in the programme.
He said: "No, it’s not me. I didn’t even know what it was. I kept getting messages saying, ‘Are you a tree?’
"And I’m like, ‘Yeah if you want me to say that,’ but no, I’m not a tree, unfortunately.
"Is it a footballer? I will try to find out for you, but it’s not me."
Jamie admitted if he was to appear on a TV singing show he would be spitting bars rather than belting out a melody.
He added: "I’m more of a rapper."
Retired footballer Peter Crouch has also been rumoured to be Tree, but he has denied such speculation.
He recently tweeted: "I can confirm I am not a singing tree".
The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins (Chameleon), ‘EastEnders’ star Patsy Palmer (Butterfly) and former Home Secretary Alan Johnson (Pharaoh) have all been unmasked so far.