Dick Van Dyke stuns judges as he was unmasked as the gnome on The Masked Singer

He might be 97 years old, but that isn't stopping Dick Van Dyke from entertaining fans.

Kicking off season nine of America's The Masked Singer, the Mary Poppins actor was unmasked, much to the delight of the judges and the audience.

Concealing his iconic face and grey hair in a giant, red-headed gnome costume, van Dyke performed Frank Sinatra's 'When You're Smiling' surrounded by a lively second-line band and parade as balloons and confetti fell on the live studio audience.

The entertainer and comedian dropped hints in his introduction, saying he's been an entertainment mainstay during his "storied career" and that he's "done it all."

After his performance, the judges made their guesses of who was behind the costume, stating names including Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.

Once Van Dyke stepped out of the suit judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger dropped their jaws in surprise.

Scherzinger teared up saying: "I love you so much, we love you, the whole world loves you so much. It's an honour to have you on our show. I can't believe you're here." 

Dick had never seen the show before he was asked to appear but thought it "looked like fun" when he finally caught an episode.