The Masked Singer Season 11 is on and fans couldn’t help but notice the absence of Nicole Scherzinger. What happened to her? Why did she leave in the latest season? Who replaces her? Here’s all you need to know.
Why did Nicole Scherzinger Leave The Masked Singer Season 11 panel?
Nicole Scherzinger left The Masked Singer to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical production, Sunset Boulevard.
It is based on the 1950 movie of the same name and Scherzinger will play lead character Norma Desmond. The news of her departure isn’t fresh as she left when Season 11 began production in September 2023.
Speaking with The New York Times last year about leaving The Masked Singer, Scherzinger 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.”
She continued:
“There are many roles I wanted to play in musical theater, but this is not one of them! I wasn’t sure if the idea was flattering or insulting. But Jamie said to me, don’t watch the movie; read the lines, listen to the music. And I fell madly in love with it.”
Whether Scherzinger decides to return in the next season of The Masked Singer remains to be seen. For now, a replacement has already been found.
Who replaces Nicole on The Masked Singer Season 11?
Rita Ora has been added to the judges panel in The Masked Singer Season 11.
The British actress and singer has joined long-time judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Robin Thicke to replace Scherzinger. She has been welcomed wholeheartedly, with McCarthy-Wahlberg telling Entertainment Weekly that she has already “learned a lot” from Ora.
Here’s what she said about Scherzinger’s exit and Ora’s arrival:
“She [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.”
Time will tell if Ora becomes a permanent judge in the future.
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