Two judges on Fox's competition series The Masked Singer reportedly walked off the set in protest after a shock appearance by Rudy Giuliani.
The former attorney for former President Donald Trump was revealed as a contestant during a taping of the show last week for its upcoming seventh season, leading judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke to walk off the stage, Deadline reports. The singing competition show involves celebrity contestants wearing elaborate costumes to disguise their identities so judges don't know who they are until they're revealed.
In this case, Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who was involved in Trump's attempt to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election based on false voter fraud claims, was reportedly revealed in the seventh season premiere. According to the report, Jeong and Thicke eventually returned to the stage after walking off, while judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger stayed on stage the whole time.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Masked Singer previously sparked some criticism, though no walkouts by the judges, after former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was revealed as a contestant in 2020. But the show drew fresh backlash after it was reported that Giuliani had been invited on in the wake of his false 2020 election fraud claims. Referencing both this and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's appearance on Dancing with the Stars, The Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Fienberg argued, "Shows like Masked Singer and [Dancing with the Stars] too often operate as a disgrace-laundering operation, helping give the impression that people like Sean Spicer and Rudy Giuliani are figures of innocuously adorable mediocrity worthy of having their status buffed from notoriety to fame."
Fox hasn't commented on the report, nor have Jeong or Thicke, and no footage from the taping has been revealed. Assuming it's still broadcast as planned, Giuliani's Masked Singer episode is set to air on Fox in March.
-
Why ‘anti-Islam’ bikers are guarding Gaza aid sitesIn The Spotlight Members of Infidels MC, who regard themselves as modern Crusaders, among private security guards at Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites
-
China: Xi seeks to fill America’s voidFeature Trump’s tariffs are pushing nations eastward as Xi Jinping focuses on strengthening ties with global leaders
-
Rebrands: Bringing back the War DepartmentFeature Trump revives the Department of Defense’s former name
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
