The Traitors and The Masked Singer prop maker’s “thrill”

The maker of giant masks for The Masked Singer as well as props for The Traitors has been describing the “fun and thrill” of working on the two hit TV programmes.

Tim Simpson has worked on every series of the ITV celebrity singing contest since 2020 as well as creating the giant chess pieces and huge model traitor for challenges on the top-rated BBC show.

The model maker, who created the masks for Can of Worms and Disc Jockey on the new series of The Masked Singer, says he has also made a “mysterious prop” for a forthcoming challenge on The Traitors.

He said: “I’ve been making silly costumes since I was a kid and to be actually asked to do it for money is the most extraordinary thing.”

The Celebrity Traitors, which was won by Alan Carr, was one of the biggest TV hits of 2025.

Mr Simpson, the owner of Plunge Creations in Portslade, East Sussex, created the chess props for one of the challenges.

He told BBC Radio Sussex: “The giant traitor which moves about on the chess board – this creepy, iconic character – was one of ours.

“I think it creeps people out. That’s what nightmares are made of.”

Mr Simpson and his team created the other giant chess pieces too, including the snake and the rat.

Speaking of the new series of The Traitors, which began on Thursday on BBC 1, he said: “We have had a hand in it.

I’ve come up with something for one of the games – but it’s all top secret.

“It was fun and a nice thing to build.

“You will know it when you see it. It will pop up and surprise you.”

Speaking of his creations for the new series of The Masked Singer the model maker said: “It’s back and I think this is the best set we’ve ever done.

“I just adore them. My personal favourite is Can of Worms.

“It’s a real collaboration. We start talking to the team in the spring, knocking silly ideas around,” he said.

“We just have fun – although some of the ideas just don’t land.

“But most of the time they say ‘just go for it’.”

Mr Simpson and two colleagues have created all six characters which appear on the ITV show on Saturday night – Red Panda, Moth, Gargoyle, Sloth as well as Can of Worms and Disc Jockey..

He said: “The sense of the absurd is what you need. You need the cute characters, but also downright strange.

“Somehow you have to make them not terrifying and not scare the children.”