Monday 16 May 2022 08:31 PM Fox boss says he has 'absolutely no regrets' about casting Rudy Giuliani on ... trends now
Fox's top boss stands by the decision to cast former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the network's The Masked Singer earlier this year - an appearance that sent America's left into a frenzy.
'No regrets,' Rob Wade, the network’s president of alternative entertainment and specials, told reporters during a conference call Monday morning - adding the only qualm he had about the appearance was that 'the reveal was spoiled [by the press].'
'Yeah, absolutely no regrets,' Wade went on. 'The marketing is all about delivering jaw dropping moments, which is exactly what the casting accomplished.'
The unmasking of GOP stalwart Giuliani, 77, came during a February taping of the program, which sees celebrities perform in costume for a panel of judges who are seemingly unaware of their identities.
The performance - which did not air until April - promptly caused a stir of among the show's judges due to Giuliani's ties to former President Donald Trump, with comedian Ken Jeong leaving the stage once the republican's face was revealed.
Word of the taping quickly spread, with Deadline reporting on the incident in early February, spoiling viewers' surprise in process - something Wade noted during the call.
'Kudos to you guys [for breaking the story],' said Wade, the brain behind shows such as ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. The exec then joked: 'Just please - don’t do it again.'
Fox brass has said the network stands by its decision to cast Rudy Giuliani on the network's The Masked Singer earlier this year - an appearance that sent America's left into a frenzy
Fox Entertainment President Rob Wade - pictured here in April with shows judge Ken Jeong, who walked off in disgust after Giuliani's reveal - said he has 'no regrets' over the appearance
In February, before the episode aired, Deadline wrote that two of the show's celebrity judges had walked off the set in disgust after Giuliani - who earned the ire of Democrats in 2020 after claiming the election was stolen - was revealed as the contestant.
When the episode aired in late April, however, Jeong was the only one to storm off.
'I’m done,' the Asian-American star, best known for his turn in 2009's The Hangover, said, as Giuliani gave an animated rendition of George Thorogood & The Destroyers' Bad to the Bone.
Thicke, meanwhile, was not shown leaving the set, but was suspiciously absent from the judges table when the camera panned to it during Giuliani's farewell performance.
Other judges Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy stayed and cheered him on, dancing as the politico belted out an off-key chorus.
Afterwards, McCarthy thanked Giuliani for appearing on the show, telling him she was 'so glad' he appeared. He said he decided to appear on the program to impress his granddaughter.
The appearance saw Giuliani was dressed up as a Jack in the Box.
Wade, the brain behind shows such as ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, said of the network's choice to cast GOP member Giuliani: 'The marketing is all about delivering jaw dropping moments, which is exactly what the casting accomplished'
The performance - which saw the former New York mayor dress up as a Jack in the Box - caused a stir of among the show's judges and the general public, due to Giuliani's ties to Donald Trump
Social media users were quick to criticize the network as well as Scherzinger and McCarthy for their reaction to the unmasking of Giuliani, due to his highly publicized claims during the 2020 election.
'The Masked Singer had the audacity to put felonious traitor Rudy Giuliani on air even though on air even though he's under a major federal criminal investigation,' singer Ricky Davila wrote at the time.
'It was so bad that Ken Jeong and yes even Robin Thicke walked out and off the set in protest. When you lose Robin Thicke, that's bad.'
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