The Masked Singer season 11 is officially underway, and fans of the celebrity singing competition might have noticed that there is a brand new panelist: the one and only Rita Ora.
For 10 seasons, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger were responsible for determining which stars were hiding under the complex costumes that The Masked Singer has to offer, however, the latter was recently replaced by the British singer, songwriter, actress, and television host.
According to The Wrap, Scherzinger stepped away from the show this season to star in a revival of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Sunset Boulevard in London’s West End, however, she would be open to returning to the series someday, telling Entertainment Weekly in an exclusive interview:
“Oh my gosh, I would love to, are you kidding me? I love my [Masked Singer] family, and it’s such a great job. Are you kidding? I love it. Yes.”
While Scherzinger is already greatly missed on our television screens, it looks like Ora has been meshing with her fellow panelists seamlessly, with McCarthy-Wahlberg dishing about what she brings to the show in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly as well. Keep scrolling to see for yourself…
Admitting that “she had some pretty big shoes to fill,” McCarthy-Wahlberg shared her reaction to Ora joining the beloved competition series:
“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… There couldn’t have been a better choice than Rita, because not only did she understand the show — she did The Masked Singer UK — she’s also an amazing performer, she has a great ear, she’s funny, and she’s got that kind of down to earth grounded personality, which you need because there’s a real chemistry between us on the panel.”
Given that The Masked Singer panel has featured special appearances from stars like Wayne Brady, Joel McHale, Gordon Ramsay, Niecy Nash, Yvette Nicole Brown, and more, McCarthy-Wahlberg also shared how Ora joining the show as a permanent panelist is even more special, admitting that “she’s already part of our family” and will be for years to come:
“We always welcome any kind of guest star that comes in, but on the panel it can be tough, and she came in like an old friend, an old sister, an old cousin. She’s already part of our family and hopefully will be for a long time.”
Will Ora return for season 12 of the hit competition show? Only time will tell…
Until then, catch brand new episodes of The Masked Singer season 11 every Wednesday evening at 8pm ET/PT on FOX. It is sure to be one for the books!
