Chaotic scenes as star storms off Masked Singer after being evicted: ‘Never happened before’

Excruciatingly awkward scenes have played out on The Masked Singer, with a global star throwing a tantrum after being evicted.

IN LONDON

We’re less than two weeks into 2025, but we may already have witnessed the most uncomfortable TV moment of the year.

In chaotic scenes on The Masked Singer UK, Macy Gray left audiences in shock after storming off set and refusing to reveal her identity – as per the show’s procedure – after being named as the contestant with the least votes.

Clearly outraged at being eliminated from the series, the 57-year-old American I Try singer abruptly left the stage with no explanation, leaving host Joel Dommett to awkwardly admit: “This has never happened before.”

Macy Gray was not happy about being eliminated from The Masked Singer UK.

Onscreen, Gray appeared to have returned for the unveiling and post-eviction interview with the judges a short time later, but according to The Sun, “bosses were left scrambling for nearly an hour to coax Macy back on stage”.

“When Macy stormed off stage, everyone was frozen in shock, but as soon as she reached backstage, crew removed her mask so they could talk her down,” a show source told the publication.

“Macy was almost shell-shocked to start with and was basically gutted to be out so early because she really enjoyed being on the American version – when obviously she did brilliantly – so was totally blindsided.

“It was the shock of it for her as well as the upset and in that moment she had a very raw, human reaction and wanted out. For a professional performer to reach that point shows how badly she felt.”

The judges were left stunned by her reaction.

The source added that it “took everyone backstage ages to talk her round” and that the host was left “essentially doing a stand-up routine” to keep the restless audience under control as the wait continued.

“Eventually they managed to persuade Macy to go back on stage and be properly unmasked and sing for the last time,” they said.

“But it was totally wild.”

This isn’t the first time Gray’s departure from a Masked Singer series has been less than graceful. In fact, it was on the Aussie version in 2021 that the soul singer actually refused to leave the show once she was eliminated, according to former host Dave “Hughesy” Hughes.

Speaking on his then-breakfast radio show Hughesy, Ed & Erin on 2DayFM, the comedian lifted the lid on what Gray was really like to work with.

“Macy Gray had such passion for the Masked Singer Australia that when she was told that she had to leave the show … she refused to leave the show,” Hughesy said.

“She said ‘No, I’m continuing in the show’ and there had to be a discussion which went for quite a while as to ‘No, you have to leave’. She said ‘No, I’m not leaving’.”

“The thing is, we can’t do the end of the show unless the head comes off,” he added, explaining it took a lot of convincing to eventually get her to leave.

“It took quite a while, and we’re like ‘What is going on, we want to go home’. We’re out the back, saying ‘What’s happening?’,” he said, laughing about how they could have possibly met her request.

“Well what are the other people gonna go? They already know that Atlantis has to go. ‘No sorry, Baby, you have to go because Atlantis won’t go’.

“She was very gracious on air, a real professional. But off air, wanted to stay.”

When she returned to chat to the judges, she gave one-word answers and was still clearly irritated.

Meanwhile on Sunday night’s UK edition, once Gray did return to continue filming, the situation became even more awkward.

Viewers were left heavily unimpressed by her blunt, one-word responses with the judges as she made it abundantly clear she was still furious (you can watch the excruciating exchange for yourself in the video above this article).

They took to social media to take aim at Gray for her “horrible attitude”, with many branding her a “sore loser”.

“Oh my days, that was painful,” wrote one viewer.

“Wow, Macy Gray was not happy at all. Amazing voice and talent, but what a diva! She’s dressed as a toad in a hole on Saturday night TV … she really needs to get over herself,” another said bluntly.

The singer was also labelled as a “diva”, and her behaviour called out as “embarrassing”.