Deadline reported that Rudy Giuliani was unveiled as a contestant on “The Masked Singer.” The season seven reveal during the FOX primetime singing competition, which hasn’t yet aired, allegedly led to judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke leaving the stage in protest. Fellow judges Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained on set and “bantered” with Giuliani, per Deadline. Variety reported that FOX “refuses to acknowledge leaks, maintaining the series’ policy against confirming ‘spoilers.’” Giuliani’s episode will not air until March, with the theme of “The Good, The Bad, and the Cuddly.” However, the politician’s rumored appearance is already causing social media backlash. “When will Mike Flynn be on ‘The Masked Singer’ again?” journalist Molly Jong-Fast tweeted.

One fan commented, “How you gonna go on the Masked Singer as an anti-masker?” CNBC’s “Money Court” co-host Katie S. Phang wrote, “We are only one month into 2022 and it is already nuts,” while tagging Ken Jeong. Related Ryan Reynolds Recalls ‘Truly Horrible’ Appearance on Korea’s ‘Masked Singer’: ‘I Was in Actual Hell’ Fox Has ‘No Regrets’ About Rudy Giuliani on ‘The Masked Singer’ Despite Walkouts Related The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ to ‘McMillions’ to ‘The Staircase’ ‘Lift Me Up’ Rises to Frontrunner Status in Best Original Song Race
“‘The Masked Singer’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ are just reputation laundering schemes,” New York Magazine features writer E. Alex Jung added. Actor Patton Oswalt joked, “Are we sure this didn’t happen at the “Masked Singer Fishing Supplies and Wig Emporium” in Trenton, NJ?”

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) February 3, 2022 “The Masked Singer” is known for having jaw-dropping surprise singers, with Republican politician Sarah Palin competing in 2020. Giuliani has faced multiple federal investigations for his involvement in the Trump administration, as well as in relation to the events of the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The former New York mayor also appeared in “Borat 2” during a controversial scene. “I was very concerned after we finished filming, as he was threatening our team with federal crimes, which we all knew were false,” producer Monica Levinson exclusively told IndieWire. “But we were in NYC with a man who seemed to be beloved by the police department, so we had our team leave town that evening instead of the next day to keep them safe!” Co-writer Dan Mazer noted, “When you add to that that it’s someone of the stature of Rudy Giuliani that you have to get on his own, in the middle of a pandemic, and make sure he doesn’t suspect anything, it’s just an absolute tightrope. You’ve put so much into it, you only have one shot at it, and you know it has to be brilliant.” “The Masked Singer” premieres on March 9 on FOX. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.