The Masked Singer is in hot water with their once dedicated fans who are preparing to boycott season 7 over the leaked news that former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani might be a contestant. On January 26, the Masked Singer announced that it will return on March 9 for season 7, along with teasing some of the costumes, suggesting that there would be three groups of performers. The contestants were separated into the good, the bad, and the cuddly, insinuating some contentious celebrities may be thrown into the mix this season.
This theory was proved correct on February 2 when news spread that panelists Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke had walked off stage while filming an episode for the new season. According to multiple reports, the former mayor was revealed to be hiding in one of the costumes, and as soon as the panelists saw him, they reportedly exited the set. Their fellow judges, Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy, reportedly remained at their table, conversing with Giuliani until Ken and Robin came back. After Giuliani's involvement in the 2020 election voter fraud claims, sources say that Ken felt disrespected that Fox would cast the former mayor on the show.
Once fans heard the news, they were equally as upset as the panelists and are now threatening to boycott the new season. The Masked Singer Twitter account has been posting some teasers and behind-the-scenes images to get fans excited for the new season; however, their posts have been backfiring as fans are instead responding with complaints about Giuliani being on the show. User @srivet responded to their tweet, writing, "Nope. Sorry. My family loved the show, but with the appearance of Rudy Giuliana, we'll be switching the channel. What's wrong with you people." Other comments ensued with people agreeing that they would not be watching if Giuliani was indeed one of the performers.
Back in season 4 of The Masked Singer, former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was revealed to be hiding behind a pink and blue pastel bear costume. The show received some criticism for casting the Republican governor, who admitted to opposing the legalization of gay marriage in 2008; however, fans were not as angry as they are over Giuliani. Another fan, @RoxieAnnDesigns, wrote, "Will @kenjeong and @robinthicke be boycotting the show also? I draw the line when you have a man under federal investigation on. You should be ashamed."
While Sarah Palin may have caused some eye-rolls back in season 4, she didn't have nearly as much controversy surrounding her as the former New York mayor who has since been linked to the Trump administration. Being that his actions were still so recent, his appearance on The Masked Singer could surely trigger a lot of viewers. While there are fans who are still excited to watch the season, a lot of fans clearly will not be tuning in, so it will be interesting to see how The Masked Singer recuperates from the Giuliani controversy.
The Masked Singer season 7 premieres March 9 at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.
Sources: @srivet/ Twitter, RoxieAnnDesigns/ Twitter