Masked Singer Judges Really Don't Know The Identities, Huh?

After The Masked Singer panelist Ken Jeong walked offstage when Jack in the Box was shown to be former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, it seemed to prove that the show's judges actually don't know the identities of the performers ahead of the reveals. While contestants' identities are typically kept a secret up until their eliminations air on television, things went awry this time around. Fans found out in February that the politician would be appearing on the show. The news broke after the panelists had filmed the Giuliani reveal, and Ken and Robin Thicke reportedly stormed offstage. It was later reported that Robin only walked off to see if his friend was okay. While the judges seemed shocked, in the past, The Masked Singer fans have raised suspicious about how much the panelists do and do not know about the performers.

Viewers have speculated that producers may be giving panelists hints or feeding them guesses through an earpiece while they film the show. While the judges often have very inaccurate guesses, they sometimes get oddly close or correct guesses, which seemingly come out of nowhere. For example, during The Masked Singer season 3, Robin guessed that actress and screenwriter Tina Fey was behind the Bear costume. However, there wasn't much evidence in the clue package which pointed to the star. Instead, Bear ended up being former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whom Tina Fey impersonated on Saturday Night Live during the 2008 election. Fans were wary of what made Robin guess that person, and questioned if producers had helped him out.

However, in light of Ken's shocked reaction to Giuliani's reveal, it may be possible that judges truly don't know which celebrities are behind the elaborate costumes. While Fox may have edited (and watered down) Ken's real reaction for the show, the initial reports stated that Ken was furious. He reportedly felt extremely disrespected by producers and showrunners. The comedian apparently left the stage for quite some time, followed by Robin, leaving just Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy to converse with the politician until Ken and Robin returned. If this is how things transpired, it's likely that Ken had no idea that Donald Trump's former attorney was on the show.

There were times on The Masked Singer when panelists appeared surprised, but fans have questioned how shocked they really were. For example, during season 5, the character Cluedle Doo was revealed as Jenny's husband, Donnie Wahlberg. While Jenny was surprised enough to fall on the floor, it's hard to believe that she was really unaware that her own husband was on the show. However, during Giuliani's reveal, even Robin seemed genuinely shocked (and taken aback) by the reveal. Ken remained silent, standing angrily with his arms crossed. His negative reaction seems to show that there was no way he knew the Trump aide was in the Jack in the Box costume. Ken was openly anti-Trump during the former president's time in office, and most likely never would have agreed to have Giuliani on the show if he knew ahead of time.

While fans have speculated about the judges' knowledge since season one, last week's episode indicates that they really are as clueless as they act. With a few more The Masked Singer season 7 episodes left, fans should keep a watchful eye on the panelists, to decide how much they really know. Ken seems to have answered the question last week with his reaction, as his fury and confusion appeared very authentic. With some of the absurd guesses The Masked Singer panelists have thrown out this season, they're either really unsure, or the producers are sabotaging them.

Next: Masked Singer: Space Bunny's Risky Costume Operated By Crew Backstage

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on FOX.