Nicole Scherzinger has been a household name for fans of The Masked Singer for over 10 seasons now.
Alongside Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke, Nicole Scherzinger has been with the show since 2019, guessing the celebrity singers in costumes, but why is she absent now?
Why can’t we see Nicole in Season 11, and who is replacing her now?
Nicole Scherzinger was replaced by Rita Ora as Nicole stepped away from The Masked Singer season 11 due to her playing a lead role as Norma Desmond in a West End stage revival of Sunset Boulevard from September 20, 2023, to January 4, 2024, which coincides with the filming dates of The Masked Singer.
The Masked Singer judge confirmed this way before on May 2023 as she talked about being cast in Sunset Boulevard.
In September 2023, Nicole moved to London to practice for the show and missed The Masked Singer season 11. However, she’s been replaced as the new judge by the British singer Rita Ora, who worked on The Masked Singer UK edition for five years in the past.
Upon replacing Nicole, Rita said,
“I think here in the U.S. it’s just definitely bigger. I’ve been doing it in the UK for five seasons and it’s such a joy doing it back home. I’ve obviously seen the level of talent on the US version and I just had to be a part of the madness. It feels very similar, but it’s nice because I think there’s a lot more leeway here in the States. Especially this season. There’s so many surprises that I’m like, ‘Oh, is this allowed?’”
McCarthy-Wahlberg, a fellow judge, had a few words to say about Rita and Nicole,
“Ora came in because she had some pretty big shoes to fill. We love Nicole. Nicole is so talented and funny, but Nicole had this amazing opportunity to go overseas in the West End and perform. So we were so happy for her. And there couldn’t have been a better choice than Rita.”
So, When will Nicole return, or will she ever come back to The Masked Singer?
While Nicole has been a constant celebrity on the panel of The Masked Singer since 2019, and now it’s rumored that Nicole signed a six-month contract with the New York Broadway stage and she may want to try out something else for a change.
Speaking with The New York Times, Nicole said,
“For many years I have been saying I am using a fraction of my potential, and now I feel I have really tapped into that.”
It is quite clear that Nicole wants to try out other gigs than being a judge, but as of now, Nicole is expected to return for Season 12, but this might change if she gets another big role elsewhere.
What do you think of Nicole as a panelist? Do you want her to return or pursue something else?
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