The Masked Singer: Why is Nicole Scherzinger leaving and who is replacing her? 

The Masked Singer is a Fox singing competition series in which celebrity singers disguise themselves in different costumes and compete for the winning title. The new season 11 premiered on March 6, 2024. As per the official trailer description on The Masked Singer YouTube channel, the series format is described as:

"With each performance, the host, panelists, audience, viewers, and even the other contestants are left guessing who is singing behind the mask. "

It further explains the elimination process and the types of challenges to take place throughout the show:

"The singers may attempt to throw off the crowd, but keen observers might pick up on tiny clues buried throughout the show. Each week, a singer is eliminated -- and then reveals his or her true identity."

Rita Ora replaced Nicole Scherzinger on the panel for the upcoming season, joining returning judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, and Robin Thicke. Nicole left The Masked Singer to take the lead in a brand-new West End production of Sunset Boulevard.

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Nicole Scherzinger is leaving The Masked Singer to star in the new Sunset Boulevard

The Masked Singer judge Nicole Scherzinger has been busy filming for her upcoming new project Sunset Boulevard in London. Based on a 1950 film of the same name, Sunset Boulevard is a musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webbe.

Nicole will be playing the role of Norma Desmond, a film star who is determined to make an appearance back on the film screen after her star-studded fame began to decline.

According to Nicole, playing Norma's character was easier for her as she could relate to Norma's emotions and her "feelings of abandonment, the constant thread of loneliness, the insatiable need for affirmation and validation."

In an October 7, 2023, New York Times interview, the former X Factor judge opened up about how she felt when she was offered the opportunity to be a part of such an iconic film remake:

“But 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. There are many roles I wanted to play in musical theater, but this is not one of them!"

Nicole further stated that she was unsure if acting was something she should do but she felt "madly in love" with the music of the 1950 classic film:

"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.”

In another interview with Entertainment Weekly on September 13, 2023, Nicole was asked whether she would return to the judges' panel on The Masked Singer in the future. She replied:

"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."

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Rita Ora replaces Nicole Scherzinger as the new The Masked Singer judge

The new season of The Masked Singer was announced to be renewed back in September 2023. Alongside the season 11 announcement, it was revealed that Rita Ora who has previously been a judge on the UK version of the show will be joining show hosts Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, and Robin Thickie.

The official Instagram account of the singing show posted a picture of Rita welcoming her as the judge:

"We're grateful to have the amazing @ritaora shine her light and join us as a panelist on #TheMaskedSinger Season 11! ✨"

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To watch The Masked Singer season 11 fans can log into their Fox account via website or app. All upcoming episodes will be available to stream on the platform Hulu.