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Tucker Carlson, he of slanted opinions and owner of one of the most punchable faces in America, is now out of a job. According to rapidly developing reports, the longtime Fox News host has agreed to part ways amicably with the network, or that is what allegedly happened.
Tucker Carlson, 53, has been a Fox News media team member since 2009 after a three-year stint with MSNBC. Carlson has hosted the Tucker Carlson Tonight show on Fox News since 2016.
Via a statement that was first reported by the Associated Press, Fox News said that they “agreed to part ways” with Carlson, and this announcement comes just after the network settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems and how the network reported on the 2020 election.
Carlson, whose show was one of the most popular on the network, aired its last episode this past Friday (April 21).
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” added the press release from Fox News.
Carlson has attracted plenty of attention as one of the leading voices in so-called conservative media, and also for his on-air gaffes and outward support of former president Donald Trump. Carlson’s departure from Fox News likely wasn’t over the $787 million settlement the network has to pay Dominion Voting Systems However, Carlson did question the network’s coverage of the election and privately stated that he was not a true fan of Trump.
On Twitter, the news of Tucker Carlson leaving Fox News is starting to bubble with reactions from most rubbing a bit of salt in the wound. Given the rise of podcasts that lean right of center coming out, Carlson should be working again in no time.
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Photo: Getty
The ‘80s are back, baby, at least on Wednesday night’s (March 29) edition of The Masked Singer, where three contestants took a trip back to a time when muscles ruled Hollywood, and big hair was how it got done.
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Off the bat, Dolly performed Simple Minds’ Breakfast Club hit “Don’t You Forget About Me,” Scorpio tackled Cyndi Lauper’s signature song “Girls just Want Have Fun,” and Moose hit “The Power of Love,” Huey Lewis and The News’ hit soundtrack from Back to the Future.
Sadly for Moose, the big guy got the chop.
Under the antlers was George Wendt, the Emmy-nominated actor and funnyman, better known to millions as Norm from Cheers.
What made him want to try-on the Moose helmet? “Well, you know, I thought maybe I’d win,” he told host Nick Cannon. And how did it fit? “It was profoundly ridiculous.”
With Moose out of the picture, Scorpio and Doll went at it for a Battle Royale, in a face-off to Duran Duran’s early masterpiece “Hungry Like The Wolf.”
There could be one winner, and that was Doll.
Scorpio, it would seem, wasn’t ready to remove the mask. In an awkward moment, the stinging singer struggled to get that helmet off and needed assistance form two men in black.
Underneath was Christine Quinn, star of the reality TV series Selling Sunset. “You gave it all,” said Robin Thicke, praising her losing efforts in the Battle Royale.
“If I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna go out with a bang,” she said. And Quinn did just that — bang, and she’s out.
Why do the Masked Singer? “I’ve always loved this show and I was like, I want to be on that show. Girls just want to have fun,” was her response.
Quinn went on to describe herself as a “closet singer,” and dropped some truth bombs: “so the fact that I’m here on the stage singing in front of people, that just goes to show anything is possible if you put your mind to it and practice.”
Wendt and Quinn join a growing group of unmasked celebrities in this season nine of Fox’s wacky hit.
Others include Holly Robinson Peete (Fairy), Alexa Bliss (Axolotl) Malin Akerman (Squirrel), Lele Pons (Jackalope), Michael Bolton (Wolf), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Sara Evans (Mustang) and Dick Van Dyke (Gnome).
An ‘80s TV star had to jump as The Masked Singer went country on Wednesday night (March 22).
Holly Robinson Peete, the author, singer and actress who made her name on 21 Jump Street, alongside a young Johnny Depp, was one of two celebrities unmasked on “Country Night”.
Dressed to impress as Fairy, the multi-hyphenate performed “Angel of Montgomery” by Bonnie Raitt, then engaged in a head-to-head “Battle Royale” with Macaw on Shania Twain’s hit “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
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Sadly, for Robinson Peete, one had to go home.
“How did you not know it was me,” she questioned Nick Cannon and the four panelists. No hard feelings.
“I’ve so enjoyed this,” she enthused. “This was a lot of fun.”
So why do the show? “I’ve always been sort of a closet singer.” It turns out, she sang the theme for 21 Jump Street, and gave an impromptu example for the cameras.
This isn’t her first rodeo. Robinson Peete won “Sesame Street Night,” and her dad, we learned, is Matt Robinson, the original Gordon from the beloved kids show. Dad used to talk to Oscar the Grouch, daughter got to sing to the trash dude. “Talk about a full circle moment,” she remarked.
Earlier, Axolotl performed Leann Rimes’ “Can’t Fight the Moonlight”.
She couldn’t fight the unmasking, though. Under the helmet was five-time WWE women’s champion Alexa Bliss.
Despite crunching rivals on the canvas for a living, singing for an audience is well-outside her comfort zone. “This was something that was personal for me because I have actually crippling stage-fright when it comes to singing,” she explained.
“I actually cried backstage before coming out here because I was just so nervous. But I am just so proud of myself because I conquered my fears. And y’all were so great.”
Bliss added, “I deal with anxiety and this was something that I wanted to show I can make myself proud.” And for those of us with fears, some advice: “Do something every day that scares you because I did that today and it was so fun.”
Robinson Peete and Bliss join a growing group of unmasked celebrities in this season nine of Fox’s wacky hit. Others include Malin Akerman (Squirrel), Lele Pons (Jackalope), Michael Bolton (Wolf), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Sara Evans (Mustang) and Dick Van Dyke (Gnome).
Sesame Street, that special, friendly place where every door opens wide, was the theme for The Masked Singer on Wednesday night (March 15). For two unlucky contestants, both foreign-born females, those doors slammed shut on the competition.
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Season 9, episode 5 got underway with Elmo, Big Bird, the Count and Co. performing “What’s The Name of that Song,” then lighting the fuse for BTS’ “Dynamite” with judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke.
After performing “Just The Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr., Squirrel was the first to go. Under the furry helmet was Malin Akerman, the Sweden-born, Canada-based raised actress and model.
Despite being tapped to leave, Akerman wore a smile that could be seen a mile away. Jeong paid tribute to her talent, remarking “you have an amazing voice, you’re just one of the sweetest people.”
Why enter the zany world of Fox’s The Masked Singer, remarked Scherzinger. Apparently the contestant watches it with her son, who was in the audience, and her dad, who made the trip from Sweden.
“Everyone dreams of being a rock star,” Akerman remarked. “It’s such an honor to be here.”
With Squirrel moving on out, that pitted Fairy (who performed “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstadt) and Jackalope (who performed “Whenever Wherever” by Shakira) in a “Battle Royale.”
The two tussled with “On Top Of The World,” for an over-the-top performance.
Only one would progress — Fairy. On receiving her marching orders, Jackalope lifted the disguise to reveal Lele Pons, the Venezuela-born singer and social media influencer.
Host Nick Cannon quipped how he couldn’t tell her talents from Shakira. Scherzinger gushed about her “beautiful voice” and how she “really showcased it” on the show.
So, why do the show? “I love to do new things,” Pons remarked. “I don’t like to repeat stuff so I’m here now and I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.” One thing’s for sure – she won’t be on The Masked Singer.
Akerman and Pons join a growing list of unmasked celebrities, including Michael Bolton (Wolf), Grandmaster Flash (Polar Bear), Debbie Gibson (Night Owl), Howie Mandel (Rock Lobster), Sara Evans (Mustang) and Dick Van Dyke (Gnome).
The latest contestant to lift the helmet on season nine of The Masked Singer now has extra time for sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide do its stuff.
Wednesday night’s (March 8) episode was a flex for the DC comic universe, with the judges all playing their part in costume, and the show appropriately opening by way of Nicole Scherzinger (in a Catwoman suit) tackling Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero.”
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Three new contestants showed their best, with Gargoyle striking the first blow with a performance of Charlie Puth’s “One Call Away”.
Next up, Wolf with a rendition of the Doors’ “Break on Through,” followed by Squirrel’s take on Pink’s “Try”.
The canine, however, got canned.
When the helmet came off, the celebrity inside was none other than late ’80s/early ‘90s crooner Michael Bolton, who, during his career, has bagged a brace of Grammy Awards and Billboard Hot 100 leaders, with “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” and “When A Man Loves A Woman.”
“I could get used to being the Wolf,” he told host Nick Cannon on his exit. “It’s great, the audience is great, the show’s great,” said the clearly-disappointed singer.
And what next for the blue-eyed soul man? “I’ve got some things going on, an album coming out in the spring. It’s about making this a beautiful world, despite what’s going on, whatever the climb we’ve got to do our best to make it a beautiful world.”
With Bolton unmasked, Squirrel and Gargoyle entered a Battle Royale, squaring off to 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite.”
Squirrel won, but Gargoyle was handed a reprieve by the judging panel.
Earlier, during the premiere of season nine, the Gnome was unmasked to reveal the Emmy, Golden Globe, Tony and Grammy-winning entertainer and comedian Dick Van Dyke. Also unmasked on episode one was the Mustang, who turned out to be “A Little Bit Stronger” singer Sara Evans.
Fox’s unusual hit returns next week with a Sesame Street-themed episode.
Watch Bolton’s performance of “Break On Through,” his unmasking, the Battle Royale and Gargoyle’s save.
For Machine Gun Kelly and Fox, the devil might be in the details.
Citing the name of Kelly’s 2019 album Hotel Diablo, lawyers for the superstar last week quietly launched a legal battle to block the television network from securing a trademark on the term “Diablo” — the name of a character on Fox’s animated sitcom HouseBroken.
Fox Media LLC applied to register the term as a trademark for selling a wide range of goods “in connection with an animated, dog-like character.” That was clearly a reference to “Diablo,” an anthropomorphic terrier voiced by Tony Hale on the hit animated show, which rolled out its second season earlier this month.
But in a case filed on Tuesday (Dec. 13) at the federal trademark office, lawyers for Kelly’s company Lace Up LLC argued that Fox’s trademark was “confusingly similar in overall commercial” to the term “Hotel Diablo,” meaning consumers might be duped into thinking that Kelly was somehow involved in the Fox merch.
Kelly’s lawyers appear to have filed the case because their own application, seeking to register “Hotel Diablo” as a trademark, was suspended earlier this year due to the existence of the Fox “Diablo” application.
Released on July 5, 2019, Hotel Diablo wasn’t as big a hit as Kelly’s more recent chart-topping albums Tickets To My Downfall and Mainstream Sellout, but it still reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and eventually spent 20 weeks on the chart.
In December 2020, Kelly’s Lace Up LLC applied at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure a trademark registration on the album name — a maneuver commonly used by major artists that makes it easier to sue over fake merch, online scammers and other brand infringements. Kelly’s company already owns such a registration for his “MGK” logo, and is currently seeking similar protection for “Machine Gun Kelly” itself as well as the name of his famous “Rap Devil” diss track and many other terms he claims as trademarks.
But in February, the USPTO suspended Lace Up’s application on the grounds that it might be confusingly similar to Fox “Diablo” application, which had been filed six months earlier in June 2020.
So last week, Kelly’s lawyers filed the current case at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, a court-like body within the USPTO where rival trademark owners can battle over who has better rights to a disputed name. They say the star has “priority of use” and that Fox’s application must be denied.
“Because of the similarity between the DIABLO Mark and the HOTEL DIABLO Mark, and because the goods covered under the DIABLO Application are related to the goods sold under the HOTEL DIABLO Mark, consumers are likely to be confused, mistaken, or deceived into believing that Applicant’s goods originate with Opposer or are in some way associated with or connected, sponsored, or authorized by Opposer,” Kelly’s lawyers wrote.
The filing of the case will initiate a lawsuit-like proceeding, in which Fox will have a chance to respond to defend its “Diablo” trademark and the board will ultimately issue a ruling. But many such disputes end with settlements, including with a simple agreement that the two brands can co-exist peacefully without confusing consumers.
An attorney for Kelly’s company and a rep for Fox did not immediately return a request for comment.
It’s the time of year for giving, and The Masked Singer doing just that.
As season eight of Fox’s quirky singing contest wraps, with Harp declared the champion, The Masked Singer announces a special Christmas extravaganza.
The Masked Singer Christmas Sing-A-Long will air next week with new holiday-themed performances by Harp, Bride, The Lambs and Snowstorm, fun behind-the-scenes bloopers and celebrity shout-outs from across all seasons.
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The season proper of The Masked Singer came to its climax this Wednesday night (Nov. 30), with front-runner Harp declared the victor.
The two-hour finale saw the judge’s favorite lock horns with the three-headed threat The Lambs. Despite finding perfect harmony on Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman,” the trio (Wilson Phillips) couldn’t handle the former Glee star and Broadway veteran Amber Riley, who performed Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory” and John Mayer’s “Gravity.”
Speaking with Billboard on her win, Riley remarked, “It felt fitting because I am a queen anyway! [Laughs] Just kidding! It felt great because it was so cool. We’re Americans, so we don’t have kings and queens. If you want to give me a crown, I’ll take it!”
This year, some big changes were introduced to the reality show’s format.
For the first time, each episode featured a completely new round of masked celebs with only one contestant moving forward by the end of the hour. Plus, the audience voted in-studio for their favorite performance of the night, and the singer with the lowest tally was then unmasked in the middle of the show before taking his or her place in the new Masked Singer VIP section to watch the rest of the episode.
The long list of celebrity participants included William ShatnerJerry Springer, George Foreman, Chris Jericho, Linda Blair, Gloria Gaynor, George Clinton, Ray Parker Jr. and Eric Idle.
The Masked Singer Christmas Sing-A-Long special will air next Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 8pm ET.
There was a lot of funny business going on with The Masked Singer on Wednesday night (Nov. 16), as Fox’s quirky show celebrated “comedy roast night.”
After accumulating the fewest number of votes, The Bride was sent packing early.
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The mask came off to reveal Chris Jericho, the former pro-wrestler and singer with heavy metal band Fozzy.
So why dress as a pink dinosaur in a wedding dress for national TV? “It’s always been inside of me, my whole life,” he said, staying in the ethos of comedy roast night.
“I was having a great time, this costume was amazing, it’s the best costume that I’ve seen on the show and I’m disappointed that I got beaten by an avocado.”
Avocado might have won that round, but he didn’t see the night out.
Following a battle royale with Snowstorm, in which the pair sang Rock Hall inductee Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Avocado went sent home.
Underneath the funny suit was Adam Carolla.
The comedian played his exit with good humor. “I gotta tell you,” he told host Nick Cannon, “somebody farted in this avocado suit and it wasn’t me. No, I know my essence.”
When asked why he wanted to join The Masked Singer, another quip. “Ever since I was a young lad growing up in north Hollywood, California, I dreamt of this moment. And a scant 47 years later here I am.” He continued, “so this is a dream realized. and if I die tonight… I’m gonna be pissed actually.”
Jericho and Carolla join the likes of George Foreman (Venus Flytrap), George Clinton (Gopher), Daymond John (Fortune Teller), the “Brady boys” Mike Lookinland, Barry Williams and Christopher Knight (Mummies), Montell Jordan (Panther), Jeff Dunham (Pi-Rat), Chris Kirkpatrick (Hummingbird), Eric Idle (Hedgehog) and William Shatner (Knight) as contestants revealed so far in the 2022 series.
TMS season 8 introduces several changes to its format.
For the first time, each episode features a completely new round of masked celebs with only one contestant moving forward by the end of the hour. Plus, the audience votes in-studio for their favorite performance of the night, and the singer with the lowest tally will then unmask in the middle of the show before taking his or her place in the new Masked Singer VIP section to watch the rest of the episode.
Two more celebrities were unmasked and sent home from Fox’s The Masked Singer on Wednesday night — both stars of the screen though from totally different ends of the spectrum.
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Episode 5 of season 8 celebrated “Muppets Night,” and some of our favorite furry characters where in the house, including Miss Piggy, who teamed up with the judges.
For the serious business, Robo Girl went up against the trio Lambs for an all-female battle, in which both contestants hit Blondie’s “Call Me.”
The Lambs won, and progress to episode 6. Robo Girl’s helmet came off to reveal Kat Graham, the singer and Vampire Diaries actor.
“This was an amazing opportunity. Thank-you guys so much, so much fun…this was unreal,” she enthuses. It certainly was, with Miss Piggy looking on.
The Beetle performed Frank Sinatra’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” and did a stellar job, according to Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, who guessed right. The man behind the mask was former talk-show host Jerry Springer.
“You’re an amazing singer and dancer, let me put that out there. You’re very, very good,” she says.“You’re a natural crooner,” chimes in Nicole Scherzinger.
Springer, whose Jerry Springer Show aired from 1991 to 2018, is happy with the mic in his hand.
“When I sing, seriously, people get involved because they have to guess where the notes were supposed to have been. It’s like interactive,” he explains following the reveal.
Why did he choose to be the Beetle? “There’s so many things going on in the world, to be able to do something that’s just fun and silly and whatever, I appreciate it.”
Graham and Springer join Gloria Gaynor (Mermaid), Mario Cantone (Maize), Daymond John (Fortune Teller), the “Brady boys” Mike Lookinland, Barry Williams and Christopher Knight (Mummies), Montell Jordan (Panther), Jeff Dunham (Pi-Rat), Chris Kirkpatrick (Hummingbird), Eric Idle (Hedgehog) and William Shatner (Knight) as the celebrities eliminated from the current season of The Masked Singer.
Season 8 of TMS rings in the changes, with several big tweaks to its format.
For the first time, each episode features a completely new round of masked celebs with only one contestant moving forward by the end of the hour. Plus, the audience votes in-studio for their favorite performance of the night, and the singer with the lowest tally will then unmask in the middle of the show before taking his or her place in the new Masked Singer VIP section to watch the rest of the episode.
Gloria Gaynor had an enduring hit with the disco anthem “I Will Survive.” The two-time Grammy Award winner won’t survive in The Masked Singer competition any longer, after she was let go Wednesday (Oct. 19) in another double unmasking.
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Fox’s quirky hit show slid back onto our TV sets after skipping last week when a rain delay caused the baseball playoffs to spill over.
There were thrills and spills aplenty this time, as the contestants celebrated “Andrew Lloyd Webber Night.” The British king of musicals was on hand to watch all the action, which saw Maize and Mermaid unmasked.
After performing “Heaven On Their Minds,” Maize accumulated the fewest number of votes and was sent packing. He lifted his helmet to reveal Mario Cantone, the actor, comedian and singer.
Mermaid performed “Any Dream Will Do,” then entered into a battle with “Robo Girl” on “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita.
One had to go, and Mermaid was sunk.
Under the mask was singing star Gaynor, whose signature song “I Will Survive” logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979.
“You are one of the greatest singers of our generation,” Lloyd Webber told the 79-year-old New Jersey native after the big reveal.
And why did Gaynor come on board? “I’ve been watching it, it just looked like so much fun,” she explained. “I said, ‘yeah, I gotta do this.’”
Earlier, Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger returned to Cats with a performance of “Memory.” Scherzinger made the song her own when she joined the cast for the 2014 West End revival of Cats, in which she played Grizabella and received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for best actress in a supporting role.
Gaynor and Cantone join Daymond John (Fortune Teller) and the “Brady boys” Mike Lookinland, Barry Williams and Christopher Knight (Mummies), Montell Jordan (Panther), Jeff Dunham (Pi-Rat), Chris Kirkpatrick (Hummingbird), Eric Idle (Hedgehog) and William Shatner (Knight) as the celebrities eliminated from the current season of The Masked Singer.
Season 8 of TMS rings in the changes, with several big tweaks to its format.
For the first time, each episode features a completely new round of masked celebs with only one contestant moving forward by the end of the hour. Plus, the audience votes in-studio for their favorite performance of the night, and the singer with the lowest tally will then unmask in the middle of the show before taking his or her place in the new Masked Singer VIP section to watch the rest of the episode.
