‘The Masked Singer’: Armadillo Is a Controversial Reality TV Star

Round 2 of The Masked Singer Season 7 wrapped up on Wednesday night, with two contestants sent home. The first of those was Armadillo, who couldn’t defeat Miss Teddy and Ringmaster. Scroll through to learn the mammal’s real identity (if you weren’t already watching via FuboTV or another live service). Spoilers ahead!

There was a controversial figure behind Armadillo’s mask. No, it wasn’t Rudy Guiliani. It was instead Duane “Dog” Chapman.” Chapman is better known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter” after the A&E reality TV show he starred on, Dog the Bounty Hunter. He also starred in Dog & Beth: On the Hunt and Dog’s Most Wanted.

🗣 TAKE IT OFF! TAKE IT OFF! 🗣#TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/1Eculu24IA

— The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) April 14, 2022

Chapman is a controversial figure, especially in recent years. Dog rose to fame in the early 2000s, due to his inspiring backstory of being a felon-turned-bounty hunter. (Chapman was convicted of first-degree murder in 1976 for driving a getaway car after his friend murdered a man named Jerry Oliver.) His reality TV success was stunted in 2007 when an audio recording of him repeatedly using the n-word was leaked. While Chapman’s reputation somewhat recovered, he was once again accused of racism, as well as homophobia, during the production of the unreleased reality show Dog Unleashed. His daughter, Bonnie Chapman, also made some concerning allegations against him in the wake of that scandal. His most reason run in the headlines involved his attempts to find Brian Laundrie, the man who killed Instagram influencer Gabby Petito. While many cheered on Chapman’s attempts to bring the murderer to justice, some — including his stepdaughter Cecily — accused him of joining the manhunt as a publicity stunt.

As far as The Masked Singer judges’ guesses some got it right. Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy both guessed Dog. Robin Thicke chose WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, while Ken Jeong swung for the fences, picking Al Pacino. Guest judge Leslie Jordan went with Gary Busey.

Armadillo is the latest Round 2 competitor eliminated, following Hydra (Penn & Teller). Previously revealed mascots include Lemur (model Christie Brinkley), Thingamabob (NFL player Jordan Mailata), Cyclops (actor Jorge Garcia), Ram (sportscaster Joe Buck) and McTerrier (Ace of Cakes’ Duff Goldman).

The Masked Singer Season 7’s new episodes air Wednesdays on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch in real-time via FuboTV (get a free trial here). You can also watch The Masked Singer by using Hulu, where episodes stream starting the morning after the broadcast. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for more weekly updates on The Masked Singer and its reveals.