Shocking the audience is kind of the point of The Masked Singer. The thrill of learning that your favorite celebrity can (or cannot) sing is fun and entertaining for several reasons. However, sometimes the producers put too much emphasis on the shocking angle of the show which makes it less fun. In other words, sometimes the producers of the show take things a little too far.
It’s one thing to surprise the audience and show them that people like Bob Saget or Mickey Rourke can sing, it’s another thing when your judges are so offended they walk off set (yes, that really happened.) Here are a few of the times when the producers in charge of casting on The Masked Singer underestimated how much the show’s fans would react.
8 Wendy Williams - Lips
Wendy Williams has been the source of several controversies over the years for frequently making offhand comments that belittle the suffering of less fortunate people or are somehow problematic, like when she belittled the murder of a TikTok Star. So when it was revealed that she was the face behind Lips in season 4, some people were not exactly stoked. However, fans are more sympathetic towards Williams these days because she is suffering from a troubling amount of health problems.
7 Rob Gronkowski - White Tiger
Fans were not offended that Gronkowski was on the show, but the Super Bowl champion made it to this list because fans did hate his performance of “I’m Too Sexy (For My Shirt)” the performance was over the top, hammy, and Gronkowski just wasn’t that good of a singer. Say what one will, but the Patriots tight end still had plenty of fun. Not everyone is on the competition to win, some just want to see if they can actually sing.
6 Logan Paul - Grandpa Monster
Fans were guessing who was under the Grandpa Monster costume for weeks and when it was revealed that it was controversial YouTuber and wanna-be fighter Logan Paul, some fans were not happy. Paul has drawn ire from some people for his insistence at picking fights with strangers and for videos that some call offensive and racist. Also, many believe the fight he had with Floyd Mayweather was completely faked. It seems that wherever Paul goes, controversy follows him, even on a show as lighthearted as The Masked Singer.
5 Caitlyn Jenner - Phoenix
Caitlyn Jenner has not had a good time in the last few years. She has drawn heavy criticism for tweets that some argue are racist, she continues to stand by disgraced former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party (despite rampant transphobia in the party that she herself has been a victim of), and she ran an embarrassing failure of a campaign for Governor of California. To top it off, her performance on The Masked Singer is considered by fans to be one of the worst in the show's history.
4 Mickey Rourke - The Gremlin
Rourke did something that irritated fans who wanted to see his character The Gremlin last longer on the show. While most entries on this list are featured because either the performance was bad or the singer was a controversial choice, Rourke annoyed fans because he violated the show's protocol. Rourke tore his mask off immediately after a performance because he was having a panic attack. After all, the suit was getting too hot for him. In other words, he eliminated himself from the competition. Considering the fact Rourke is famous for his eccentric, unpredictable behavior, producers probably should have seen something like this coming.
3 Mama June and Honey Boo Boo - Beach Ball
One of the rare duos to come onto the show, some were not happy to see the famous reality TV pair again. Honey Boo Boo and Mama June were all over the place at the height of their popularity, which petered out around 2014. So when they were revealed to be the Beach Ball, fans moaned with annoyance that the show made them relevant once again.
2 Sarah Palin - Bear
After a hammy presentation of “BabyGot Back,” the bear was revealed to be the former Governor of Alaska and some were not happy. Liberal fans of the show were not eager to see the prominent Republican on the stage, and some in Alaska never forgave Palin for resigning from her term as Governor early. Palin has also a long history of making problematic comments, and, like Caitlyn Jenner, she draws heavy criticism for continuing to support Donald Trump.
1 Rudy Giuliani And The Botched Reveal That Offended The Show's Judges
Topping the list in what has to be the worst decision the show's producers have ever made is former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani is currently under investigation for his participation in planning the January 6th insurrection where supporters of Donald Trump tried to steal the 2020 election by storming the US capitol building. Judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke were so furious about the reveal they stormed off the set. The episode has turned into a viral debacle and late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and Trevor Noah have all lampooned the poor decision producers made to feature Giuliani on the show.
