Top 10 Biggest The Masked Singer Scandals

Fans were reportedly outraged when a Tweet seemingly sent by the official “Masked Singer” account exposed Firefly’s identity prior to her unmasking. The Tweet was quickly deleted, but of course, nothing’s ever really gone online. It later came out that it was fake, and just the result of a little prank gone wild. Still, the jokester did correctly guess that Firefly was singer Teyana Taylor. Incidentally, the contestant made headlines a couple of times throughout her season. The first time was for pulling off an incredible performance of “Ain't Nobody” after needing medical attention. The second was for unexpectedly walking off stage ahead of her sing-off against Ram.

Crab was introduced as a wildcard contestant in the show’s fifth season. Whether you instantly recognized the voice or pieced together the clues like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, you may have guessed it was artist Bobby Brown behind the claws. However, not everyone was elated by this unmasking due to the singer’s past. Brown has had multiple run-ins with the law, and notably faced a battery charge during his relationship with Whitney Houston. He later admitted to striking her in his memoir. Certain people felt that a show like “The Masked Singer” platforming someone with such a record was problematic, and served to excuse or gloss over his history.

McTerrier stole the show with his rendition of “Working for the Weekend” in the first episode of season seven. It was an energetic and fun performance, with the mystery celeb really throwing himself into it and fetching positive remarks from the panel. However, it definitely seemed like this costume created some visibility blind spots. And McTerrier was in for a ruff moment when his head came flying off. Luckily, thanks to some quick thinking from everyone involved, the crisis was averted, and McTerrier’s identity remained secret a little bit longer. It’s still one of the most barking things to ever happen on the show.

In November 2020, the U.K., like much of the world, was under restrictions due to the pandemic. Yet the singer gathered with friends to celebrate her 30th birthday in a restaurant. Police also claimed that her reps offered to pay the establishment to let the event happen. Even the surveillance was reportedly shut off. Additionally, Ora had returned from a trip, and was meant to be following quarantine rules. The singer expressed regret for the situation, though there ended up being relatively minimal damage to her career. However, many wanted her to be axed from “The Masked Singer” UK, where she serves as a panelist. The show had gone into production on its second season a few months prior, and Ora kept her job.

Lockdowns also hit the Aussie version of the series, forcing them to go with a virtual crowd. However, viewers reportedly started noticing the same faces popping up across episodes, and the show was suspected of regularly rigging the vote, even pre-COVID. A few seasons later, the program was hit by another potential cheating scandal. This occurred when panelist Dave Hughes correctly identified the season four winner, Melody Thornton, right before her unmasking. Hughes is typically known for his out of left field guesses, so it was a little suspicious when he got one right at the very last minute. Some wondered whether the producers told him who it was, and he had to deny any insider knowledge.

From the get-go, it was obvious that Grandpa Monster had a young soul. But who could it be? Many of the clues pointed at either of the Paul brothers. Although, in hindsight, there were a few more that pointed at Logan over Jake. In fact, one clue reminded folks of the elder bro's highly offensive and inappropriate Aokigahara scandal. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has landed in hot water many times throughout his career, and to say he never seems far from controversy could be considered an understatement. So when sweet ol' Grandpa Monster was unmasked, many people watching felt things turn sour pretty fast.

Typically, a “Masked Singer” reveal is preceded by a vote and a chorus of a particular chant [1]. But not this time. Shortly after performing Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me,” the Gremlin announced his own unmasking. While he was getting all hot and bothered under that cumbersome costume, host Nick Cannon was getting flustered trying to contain the situation. But it was too late. This was uncharted territory for the US competition, and widely unusual terrain at that. Then again, Oscar-nominee Mickey Rourke choosing to buck convention is nothing new. When asked why he wanted to be on “The Masked Singer,” Rourke responded with the following [2]. Well, that’s how you make an… exit?

Who knew that a cute bear rapping Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" would ultimately be so contentious? As soon as she was unmasked, our jaws dropped to the ground. The Republican politician said she took part in the competition as a "walking middle finger to the haters." Her being on the show at all was already controversial. On top of that, her lawyers in a defamation suit against the New York Times reportedly tried barring the jury from seeing videos of her time on the series. They reportedly stated that it could create "unfair prejudice and confusion." Palin didn’t win the lawsuit, but the image of her rapping in that bear costume will forever be etched into our minds.

In the summer of 2020, the show’s host made several deeply offensive remarks about Jewish people on his podcast “Cannon’s Class.” It didn’t help that he was sharing his platform with rapper Professor Griff, who’s known for making anti-Semitic comments. Following the backlash, Cannon released a statement apologizing and promising to do better. While ViacomCBS, the parent company to the network airing his “Wild 'N Out” show, initially cut ties with him, they hired him back the following year. Throughout all this, some expected Fox to relieve Cannon from his hosting duties on “The Masked Singer” ahead of the fourth season’s premiere that September. However, the network released its own statement, essentially explaining that it had accepted Cannon’s apology and wasn’t taking further disciplinary action.

Many casting choices on “The Masked Singer” have sparked outrage. But no choice has proven quite as contentious as the one to feature disgraced lawyer Rudy Giuliani. His unmasking was leaked shortly after the episode’s taping, and his participation resulted in a clearly shaken Ken Jeong leaving the set, with Robin Thicke reportedly following him. The news didn’t do any favors for the show’s ratings or popularity either, as viewership reportedly hit a notable low. According to Deadline, his unmasking episode became the season’s least-viewed at that time. Despite the polarizing response, the network seemingly doesn’t regret his inclusion. In fact, Fox’s Rob Wade said his “only regret was […] that the reveal was spoiled.”