Prior to The Masked Singer making its return to the air with new episodes, we have an early reveal concerning the beloved Fox reality show:
Nicole Scherzinger will NOT appear on Season 12.
As viewers of this program know well, of course, the former Pussycat Dolls member was absent from Season 11 as well.
Because she has agreed to star in a production of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway later this year (an impressive feat!), Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Rita Ora will once again replace Scherzinger on the show’s panel.
The British singer-songwriter took over this same role last season and will once again join forces with series regulars Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Walhberg, Robin Thicke… along with host Nick Cannon.
To be clear, no casting decisions have been made beyond Season 12 and EW emphasizes that the door “is open” for Scherzinger to come back on board at some point.
Scherzinger initially stepped away from The Masked Singer after 10 seasons due to a scheduling conflict, as she nabbed the lead role in Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End.
Her performance earned the star Best Actress in a Musical at the Olivier Awards, which is the British equivalent of the Tonys.
Now, as previously cited, the artist will bring this role to Broadway — with performances beginning September 28 and an official opening set for October 20.
Ahead of season 10, Scherzinger sounded VERY enthusiastic about remaining on The Masked Singer for as long as producers would have her.
“Oh my gosh, I would love to, are you kidding me?” she told EW at the time. “I love my [Masked Singer] family. And it’s such a great job. Are you kidding? I love it. Yes.”
As for Ora?
She was actually panelist for five seasons of the U.K. version of The Masked Singer.
Ahead of season 11, this same publication asked if Ora would be open to doing more seasons in America if she had the opportunity.
“I would love [that],” she told EW at the time. “I’ve had such a great experience, and yeah, who knows? I’m really grateful that they have me on the show. I love it. It’s so fun.”
Fox has not yet unveiled the premiere date for The Masked Singer Season 12, but look for it to kick off later this fall.