‘The Masked Singer’: Rita Ora steps in to judge Season 11 for Nicole Scherzinger
LOS ANGELES - A new person is joining "The Masked Singer" as a judge: Rita Ora.
FOX announced the news last week, sharing that the British popstar would fill in for Nicole Scherzinger while she performs in London.
"We're grateful to have the amazing @ritaora shine her light and join us as a panelist on #TheMaskedSinger Season 11!," "The Masked Singer" wrote on social media.
Ora will join the O.G. judging panel Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and Robin Thick. It marks the first time that there has been a panel change in the show since its debut in 2019. In fact, the only time the show had any cast change was when producers tapped host Niecy Nash to fill in for Nick Cannon when he contracted COVID-19 in 2021.
But, Ora's not a stranger to the show. She previously sat on the judges' panel for "The Masked Singer" UK for four seasons.
Recording artist Rita Ora attends the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for NARAS)
The addition of Ora comes amid Scherzinger joining the cast of Sunset Boulevard. The show, presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opens Sept. 20 at the Savoy Theatre in London and runs through Jan. 2024, so Ora will fill in for Scherzinger while she’s overseas.
Robin Thicke, Nick Cannon, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon along with characters from Sesame Street in the "Sesame Street Night" episode of THE MASKED SINGER. (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Credit: Michael Becker/FOX ©2023 FOX Media LLC).
"Just one more week to go until we hit the stage for @sunsetblvdmusical! What an incredible journey with the most amazing people, I can’t for you all to see what we have been working on," The Pussycat Dolls singer shared on Instagram.
The news also comes just weeks before the tenth season of the show is set to return.
About "The Masked Singer" Season 10
The new season will kick off with an all-new format with three incredible groups and a special Battle Royale semi-final. Like previous seasons, Wild Card contestants will return to shake up the competition with one Wild Card introduced to each group.
The "Ding Dong Keep It On Bell" will also return, allowing judges to choose to save a contestant from elimination and move them directly into the finale.
The season also features iconic-themed episodes including "Trolls Night," "Harry Potter Night" during Halloween week, and "Elton John Night" which will celebrate the singer’s music.
RELATED: ‘The Masked Singer’ makes splash with costume reveal for upcoming 10th season
"The Masked Singer" Season 10 officially kicks off Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 8/7c on FOX.
This station is owned by FOX Corporation.