As The Masked SingerSeason 10 gets underway, Season 11 is already being planned out, and it’s going to look a little different. It was recently announced that longtime panelist and former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger will be bowing out of the Fox competition series for a production of Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End. Singer Rita Ora will be temporarily taking her place. However, fellow panelist Jenny McCarthy already knows how she wants Scherzinger to come back to the series in a surprising way.
The idea of Scherzinger coming back as a masked singer and surprising the panelists has been floated around. It would be pretty entertaining to see, especially since no one would really expect it to happen. The New Year’s Rockin’ Eve co-host told ET that she had the same idea:
I thought the same thing. 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.
That would probably be the best unmasking in the show’s history. Plus, since she’s been serving as a panelist this whole time, I can’t help but think how she would do as a masked singer. Also, I’d love to know what her costume would be. If Nicole Scherzinger came back in that way, she would definitely have to pay tribute to her Pussycat Dolls days. However, the more people think about it, the less of a surprise it would be. If she were to be a masked singer, it would likely completely catch people off guard.
As of now, it seems like Scherzinger’s departure is only temporary, but things could change. There’s no indication she’s planning on fully leaving The Masked Singer. If she ever does, though, McCarthy would be heartbroken, as would everyone else. She said:
It would be devastating if Nicole wasn’t gonna come back. 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.
Scherzinger’s departure marks the first time that a panelist has left The Masked Singer since the show’s premiere in 2019. Change on The Masked Singer is not easy, especially when something has been so consistent. McCarthy did stress that she’s excited for Rita Ora to join the family, noting she’s “the perfect person” considering she’s done The Masked Singer U.K. So at least Scherzinger’s replacement is familiar with the series. That doesn’t make the departure any less hard, though.
Luckily, Season 10 just started, and Nicole Scherzinger won’t be leaving until Season 11. Fans still have a few months to watch the singer throw in guesses for the mystery celebrity contestants.
Season 10 returns on Wednesday, September 27 as part of the 2023 TV schedule, and I’m sure the season will include plenty of surprises. Going off of previous fall seasons, episodes will likely run through December. For now, Scherzinger won’t be going anywhere. She will be keeping Rita Ora’s seat warm for when she comes on board next year, and she’ll likely be back for Season 12.
You can stream new episodes of The Masked Singer on Fox or with a Hulu subscription.