Masked Singer’s Yak unmasked as punk rock legend

The Masked Singer has unveiled another celebrity contestant, with punk rock icon John Lydon, famously known as Johnny Rotten, revealed as the Yak.

The 69-year-old former Sex Pistols frontman was unmasked during Saturday night's episode of the ITV singing competition, after losing a sing-off against fellow contestant Monkey Business. The show sees celebrities perform while wearing elaborate costumes, with their identities kept secret.

The sports day-themed instalment saw cricket legend Freddie Flintoff join the regular panel of Jonathan Ross, Maya Jama, Mo Gilligan and Davina McCall.

Flintoff made an immediate impact, correctly identifying Lydon as the glittery purple Yak following his rendition of Olivia Newton-John's "Physical".

After removing his mask, Lydon described the experience as “unbelievable” and that he was “amazed” that Flintoff was able to guess his identity so quickly.

He said: “A lot of the clues beat around the bush. But, I mean, it’s kind of obvious my voice, isn’t it?

“I didn’t want to give the game away, so I tried everything I could not to come across as a singer.

“It apparently worked,” he joked.

Speaking about his time on the show, he said: “Absolutely loved it. I’ve had a sad sack yak on my back. It’s time to go home.”

The singer later cited his appearance fee as a reason for participating on the show, saying it will “go a long way” to help him record his new album.

He said: “I’m in the middle of recording an album, and a little bit of extra cash will go a long way towards that budget.

“We’re independent.”

Speaking about his performances on the show, he added: “I hope the fun comes across. Rather than going up there and doing singalong and guessing who I am straight away, I thought, show the other side of me.

“An absolute funster. I’m the court jester by nature. It’s just the way it is.”

Lydon is known for being part of the punk rock band The Sex Pistols, which formed in 1975 before it disbanded in 1978, with the frontman going on to form Public Image Ltd, also known as PiL.

The group were known for their rebel spirit and speaking out against the monarchy and the established political order in provocative lyrics with songs including God Save The Queen and Anarchy in the UK.

The band reunited last year for several gigs, however, Lydon did not perform and promised never to return to the group after the singer fought a high-profile court battle against the rest of the band in a bid to stop their songs being used in a Disney+ series of their story, called Pistol.

This year’s characters on The Masked Singer include Toastie, Arctic Fox and Conkers, who all performed during Saturday’s episode and were put through to the next week.

The 2025 series was won by musical theatre star and Les Miserables actress Samantha Barks, who was dressed as a pufferfish.

Hosted by comedian Joel Dommett, The Masked Singer returns on Saturday on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.