Season 11 of The Masked Singer is set to entertain fans with its unique concept of trying to guess which celebrities are in the masks and costumes.
With a new season of the show will come new costumed characters, celebrity guests, and a brand new judge among the show’s panel.
Some guest celebs who will stop by include NSYNC star Lance Bass, singers Jewel and Bret Michaels, and NFL star Le’Veon Bell.
As Monsters and Critics reported, Nicole Scherzinger is leaving as a judge after 10 seasons on the show. Taking her spot will be singer Rita Ora, and it seems she’s ready for the opportunity.
The question remains whether viewers will enjoy Ora in place of Scherzinger and if she’ll get along with the other judges, including Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, and Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg.
Two of the celebrity judges recently opened up regarding how they felt about Ora joining the show and seeing Scherzinger leave.
Masked Singer judges comment about Rita Ora joining judges
After time spent on The Masked Singer UK, Rita Ora indicated she’s “excited” to join the United States version of The Masked Singer. She’ll officially start as a panelist in 2024 for the US version’s Season 11.
Based on recent interview remarks, judges McCarthy and Thicke believe the show’s newest judge will fit right in due to her previous experience.
“Who doesn’t love Rita Ora?! She is the sweetest thing and she is the perfect person to step in for Nicole,” McCarthy told ET Online.
“But Rita is the perfect person because she’s done Masked Singer U.K.,” McCarthy continues. “She’s a lovely human being, so I love it.”
Thicke shared similar sentiments, also mentioning that their former co-star would be missed in the role.
“You miss Nicole but Rita’s such a talent,” he told ET, adding, “We’re very blessed that she could come in and fill enormous shoes as Nicole’s.”
Ora, 32, appeared as a panelist on four seasons of The Masked Singer UK, which gives her experience in judging and guessing the various costumed celebrities.
Could Scherzinger return to The Masked Singer?
In addition to their praise for Ora, they also spoke about Scherzinger leaving the show after Season 10 and the potential she could return during the season in another capacity. The 45-year-old entertainer left her spot as a judge in the FOX show to join a production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Sunset Boulevard in London’s West End.
“It would be devastating if Nicole wasn’t gonna come back,” McCarthy said, adding, “I would be going through a grieving period. It still is weird because we are such a tight family. We’ve grown into this brother and sisterhood.”
While Scherzinger will portray Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, McCarthy contemplated seeing her return to The Masked Singer- but maybe as a costumed celebrity.
“I thought the same thing,” McCarthy said when the idea was mentioned.
“Maybe they’re doing this so Nicole can be underneath the costume. Who knows? It could be! I would love nothing more than her to pop up and surprise us,” she said.
Thicke again agreed with his co-star, indicating it would be a “pretty amazing TV moment” should Scherzinger make a surprise return in one of the costumes. Viewers and judges will soon start guessing which celebs are performing as Season 10 officially begins this week.
The Masked Singer Season 10 premieres on Wednesday, September 27 at 8/7c on FOX.