“The Masked Singer” is back for its 12th season, but longtime fans will notice that one familiar face is still missing: Nicole Scherzinger. But, worry not, Rita Ora is once again stepping up to fill her seat at the table.
Scherzinger has sat alongside Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg since the show debuted in 2019. But on Wednesday night, pop star Rita Ora returns, having previously filling Scherzinger’s spot last season. Ora has also been part of “The Masked Singer UK,” “The Voice Australia” and “The X Factor UK.”
But why was Ora tapped in? Well, originally, it was just a scheduling conflict. The Pussycat Dolls singer starred in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard” last year. Performances began back in September 2023, and the show ran for 16 weeks.
Unfortunately for Scherzinger, that coincided with filming of season 11 the Fox singing competition, so fans didn’t see her at all during Season 11 of the show.
It remains unclear why Scherzinger didn’t return for season 12, but according to an individual with knowledge of the show back in June, producers are happy Ora’s schedule worked out for her to do another.
Scherzinger has been vocal about her love for the Fox competition, but at this point, it’s also unknown if she’ll return in the future, as the same individual noted at the time that no decisions on casting have been made beyond season 12.
In the meantime, Thicke, Jeong and McCarthy-Wahlberg are welcoming Ora back with open arms.
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.