Deadline reported one month prior to the premiere that Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke walked off the set after Rudy Giuliani, the new character, was unmasked. Although the costume of the former New York City mayor was kept secret, some viewers were unhappy that such a controversial character was chosen for the show’s otherwise non-political cast.
Two years ago, the Giuliani controversy erupted after the series had received backlash for inviting former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the Bear. After performing a rendition Sir Mix a Lot‘s “Baby got back” in her first episode, the Going Rogue author was returned to home in March 2020.
Later, Palin stated that the reason she created the show was to rebuke her critics. “I knew it was so refreshing and so liberating and well, in an actual respectful way, kinda a walking middle finger for the haters out here in the world where there is no limit to what I can do and not care about what anybody said because they wouldn’t know until the fact,” Palin said in May 2020 during a Masked singer aftershow. It all turned out well.
Giuliani was not unmasked for the season 7 premiere. However, the episode made headlines when McTerrier accidentally knocked off his head during a performance. After being voted the worst performer of the evening, the contestant managed to conceal his face from the panelists.
Duff Goldman was the first to go home, but he still had a lot of fun competing in the show.
In a post-show clip shared via the series’ official Instagram, he stated that The Masked Singer was a lot of fun. “Everybody is so cool. I put on this outfit, and suddenly I knew I was singing for millions of people. I didn’t even care. It was amazing.”
Charm City Cakes founder was also the first to lose their mask on the show. Mickey Rourke famously removed his mask during season 4’s first appearance. However, he did so intentionally and was self-eliminated.
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8:15 p.m. on Fox ET. Continue scrolling to see a complete list with clues about each contestant.
McTerrier Team Good
McTerrier’s initial clue package featured McTerrier advertising a Terry towel, which is good for cleaning up anything right to the edges. McTerrier also included clues about a red birthday cake, a gold vinyl record and a hatchet that had a gold star. McTerrier stated that McTerrier plays many instruments and considers him an artist after his first performance.
Team Bad: The Cyclops
Cyclops explained to the panelists that as a child he was more drawn to monsters than heroes. His first clue package contained a compass pointed southeast, a turtle with a cowboy hat, and a comic book.
The Thingamabob: Team Curdly
Thingamabob stated that he was “born” to rock music and it “transformed him.” Thingamabob’s first clue package contained a bald Eagle, a tip container with a bell, a tackle box, and an ornament from Hotel California. The package also included a cameo appearance by Bulldog, who was Nick Cannon in season 5.
The Firefly
Firefly’s first clue package contained a playbill from the Apollo Theater comedy show, a photo of Tyler Perry, and a replica of the Statue of Liberty in gold. She told panelists after her first performance that she has been performing all her life.
The Ram
Ram’s first clue package started with a marquee in a theater reading “Macbeth and Hamlet”. Other clues included a referee calling for a touchdown, a piggybank reading “quarter return”, and a horse figurine. It was also mentioned that the Ram had heard cheers and boos throughout his career and is used to telling stories under lights and following in his father’s footsteps.
