The Masked Singerhas been airing on Fox since 2019, and it’s difficult to believe that the reality competition series is already in its 12th season. The elaborate costumes combined with the celebrity contestants and their personality-filled performances along with the excited judging panel make the show a delight to watch for the whole family.
With that said, not every contestant has been great. Of course, those who are actual singers perform the best with angelic or smooth voices and wonderful stage presence. Some might not be the best singers, but they still put their all into passionate, sometimes even humorous, performances, likeRob GronkowskiorMichael Rapaport. A few, however, were lacking the magic that makes the show so wonderful. Some were even controversial, one so much so that he drove a judge to walk off in anger at his reveal.
The Masked Singer
10Danny Trejo
Raccoon (Season 11)
Danny Trejodoes not have a voice for singing. But hedoeshave a very recognizable voice. Which makes him a terrible option forThe Masked Singer, one ofthe best reality competition shows. When someone has such a distinctive voice, they are identified on the show the second they sing the first vote. This is precisely what happened with Trejo, even before any of the clues about his identity pointed viewers in a particular direction.
In fact,withthe clues, it became obvious that it was the veteran actor. Interestingly, Trejo has his own record label, which he toldVarietyhe started precisely because he’s aware he can’t singbut does love music. It’s admirable that such a big movie star came on the show because of his love of music and playful nature. But aside from his singing being so bad, his identity was far too easy to guess.
9Wendy Williams
Lips (Season 4)
Wendy Williamsas Lips was deeply entertaining, and many actually enjoyed her performances, despite the fact that she can’t sing. However, her costume had her seated throughout her entire performances, so she didn’t move around much at all. What’s more, she, too, has a distinctive voice and was written down instantly by bothJenny McCarthyandNicole Scherzingeras their First Impression guests.
A polarizing performance, Williams didn’t have the same energy that others do. She was funny and brought the same personality she did to her talk show. But she was another easy guess that missed the mark because of the show’s focus on the element of surprise and mystery. Plus, she laughed uncontrollably for some time during her performance.
8Antonio Brown
Hippo (Season 1)
Antonio Browndidn’t do a bad job while singing as the hippo in season one, which remainsthe best season ofThe Masked Singer. But some fans weren’t happy with the show casting him in the first place. The football wide receiver who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers has had a great career on the field.
But not long before he appeared on the show, he had been plagued with controversy, includingthrowing furnitureout of his apartment windowthat almost hit a toddler, according toESPNandspeeding down a suburban road, as perPittsburgh Post-Gazette. But more troubling is that hewas accused of sexual assault, according toThe New York Times. Controversies continued for the player long after, solidifying fans’ distaste for him being on the show at all.
7Mickey Rourke
Gremlin (Season 4)
There’s no denyingMickey Rourke’stremendous star power. He is arguably one of the biggest movie stars to appear on the show, if notthebiggest. He has appeared in iconic movies like9 ½ Weeks,Get Carter, andOnce Upon a Time in Mexico, and earned an Academy Award nomination for his role inThe Wrestler. But his performance onThe Masked Singerdidn’t play to his strengths.
The actor did not sing well. Not every player who appears is a professional singer nor has a talent for singing, but his was especially bad. Further, feeling overheated in his costume, he broke the rules and removed his mask to eliminate himself before any real judging was made. For a show where keeping the contestant’s identity a secret is at its core, he rendered an entire episode void from its concept.
6Dog the Bounty Hunter
Armadillo (Season 7)
Duane Chapman, known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, may have amassed fans thanks to his TV show of the same name where he filmed his experiences as a real-life bounty hunter and bail bondsman. But accusations against him of racism, particularly by his own family members, made his inclusion on the family-friendly show somewhat puzzling. According toReuters, his show was put on indefinite hiatus due to allegations thathe used a racial slur.
Just prior to his appearance, his daughter accused him of using homophobic and racist comments, which ultimately led to the show’s cancellation. Reality shows likeThe Masked Singerare sometimes known for giving controversial public figures second chances. But the accusations against Chapman were so unfortunate and fresh that he seemed like an odd choice. In terms of his performance, it was also lackluster, singing songs like “I Fought the Law” and even falling down halfway through.
5Logan Paul
Grandpa Monster (Season 5)
The Masked Singercontinued its trend of bringing on controversial figures withLogan Paul, a popular YouTuber.NBChad previously reported thatPaul faced backlash when he filmed himselfwalking through a forest in Japan known as a place where people commit suicide.He went so far as to film a suicide victim as part of his video.
It’s one thing to capture content for clicks, but Paul went way too far with that one. He was on the show’s fifth season in 2021, which was admittedly four years after the incident occurred, and he did eventually remove the video and apologize for his actions. But he continued to produce questionable content, including airing a podcast episode where he claimed he was going to “attempt to go gay for just one month.” It led to a scathing reply from GLAAD.” Further, the clues about his identity were quickly figured out to be referencing an upcoming boxing match againstFloyd Mayweather Jr., making his identity even less of a mystery.
4Teyana Taylor
Firefly (Season 7)
A unique case, sinceTeyana Tayloractually went on to win the season, fans didn’t like her diva-esque, bratty behavior, making her theworst winner on the show so far. In the second week when she was announced to be at the bottom of the votes and would have to perform against others, she walked off-stage in what appeared to be a huff. Fans didn’t like her lack of competitive spirit and seeming bitterness about almost being sent home.
Her attitude suggested that she didn’t understand the premise behind the show, which was to have fun over and above everything else. It was a sour moment in an otherwise sweet show. While her singing was angelic, her attitude at that moment was anything but.
3Sarah Palin
Bear (Season 3)
When politics are mixed with reality TV, it usually doesn’t go over well.Sarah Palinwas a polarizing figure and her appearance on the show didn’t make much sense. The former Republican Governor of Alaska and Republican vice presidential nominee under U.S. senator John McCain divided Americans with her stance on many pivotal issues, making her someone who didn’t fit with the lighthearted nature of the show.
Indeed, when she was eliminated, Palin told hostNick Cannonwhen he asked why she decided to do the show (as he does all contestants) that it was as a “walking middle finger to the haters.” She somehow missed the memo thatThe Masked Singeris generally a family friendly show about positivity and laughs.
2Honey Boo Boo & Mama June
Beach Ball (Season 6)
Honey Boo BooandMama June, real names Alana Thompson and June Shannon rose to fame on the reality showsToddlers & Tiaras, areality show that aged badly, thenHere Comes Honey Boo Boo. They were on the show in season six as wildcard contestants. The costume was massive, a huge beach ball that housed both of them together. It was a nice surprise when viewers and judges realized there were two people inside, not one. But they didn’t last long, with a lackluster performance that couldn’t match the other talent on the show.
What’s more, their identities led to some completely wrong guesses, likeKimandKhloe KardashianandNicole “Snooki” PolizziandJenni “JWoww” Farley. Those guesses arguably led to disappointment when their real identities were revealed and fans were expecting two other people entirely.
1Rudy Guiliani
Jack in the Box (Season 7)
Sparking tremendous backlash,Rudy Guiliani’sidentity was spoiled prior to the season even airing because of how passionate the response was. Guiliani was not well received on the show, which is known for being one ofthe friendliest reality competition shows. So much so, in fact, that judgeKen Jeonglooked disgusted when the mask was taken off to reveal who was underneath. He was so upset, Jeong walked off stage angry, clearly not happy about the casting decision.
While Guiliani was a once revered political and legal figure in New York, particularly for everything he did for the city in the wake of 9-11, he had a tremendous fall from grace in the public eye. His outspoken support about pressing politics, including denying the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, made him the least fitting candidate for this show, or any reality show, especially at the time he appeared.
