Rita Ora Joins The Masked Singer as Panelist for Season 11
Fans of the hit TV show The Masked Singer are in for a surprise twist in its upcoming 11th season. The show, known for its entertaining celebrity guessing game, has welcomed Rita Ora as a new panelist. Rita, aged 32, will be joining the judging team alongside Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke, and Jenny McCarthy. This exciting development was reported by TVLine on September 13, 2023.
Rita Ora’s addition to the panel comes as a temporary replacement for Nicole Scherzinger, a familiar face on the show since its debut in January 2019. Nicole, aged 45, will continue to grace the screens in season 10, which is set to premiere later this month.
It’s worth noting that Rita Ora is not entirely new to The Masked Singer universe. She has been hosting The Masked Singer UK since 2020, and most recently, she was part of season 4, which concluded in February with musician Charlie Simpson winning the coveted Golden Mask trophy.
But here’s a tidbit for Sherlock Scherzy fans: Nicole Scherzinger’s departure is not permanent. She’s taking a break from the show to star in a West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard. In the musical, she will portray Norma Desmond, an aging silent film star struggling with the end of her career.
Director Jamie Lloyd expressed excitement about working with Nicole in this new production, describing Sunset Boulevard as one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most thrilling and atmospheric scores. The musical adventure promises to be captivating.
While the current season of The Masked Singer hasn’t officially begun yet, the host, Nick Cannon, and the panelists gave fans a sneak peek during a kickoff special on September 10. They introduced a new character named Anonymouse, swiftly revealing that it was Demi Lovato behind the mask.
In this guessing game show, everyone’s identity is shrouded in mystery until they’re unmasked. Over the years, we’ve seen celebrity contestants like Joey Fatone, Michelle Williams, Tori Spelling, Mickey Rourke, Patti LaBelle, Kelly Osbourne, Bret Michaels, Lil Wayne, Jordyn Woods, and Wendy Williams grace the stage.
During the special, viewers got glimpses of other new characters such as Diver, Gazelle, and Royal Hen. Diver’s clue raised speculation that it could be none other than Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval.
As Diver put it in his introduction, “Usually, I’m pretty pumped, but lately, I’ve been lost in the abyss. I might be the most hated creature in the ocean right now.” The clever wordplay has fans buzzing with excitement and anticipation for what’s to come.
The Masked Singer season 10 is all set to premiere on Fox on Wednesday, September 27, at 8 p.m. ET. It’s shaping up to be an exciting season with surprises and fantastic performances awaiting eager fans.