"I didn't want to come on at all" — The Masked Singer star Scheana Shay admits she was hesitant to join the show

The fourth episode of The Masked Singer season 13 aired on March 5, 2025, titled Voices of Olympus: Unmasking of the Gods. Five masked performers competed to stay in the competition and advance to the next round. By the end of the episode, the contestant, Bat, was eliminated and revealed to be Scheana Shay, a former Vanderpump Rules cast member.

Scheana Shay admitted she was hesitant to join the show in an exclusive interview with People magazine on March 6, 2025, sharing:

"I didn't want to come on at all. After being on Vanderpump Rules and people making fun of me for doing music when I'm like, I've never wanted to be a pop star."

But after talking with executive producer Deena Katz and receiving support from her team, she finally decided to take the chance. Shay sang the song Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter throughout the show, and the judges took a lot of guesses about her identity.

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Scheana Shay reflects on her experience as Bat in The Masked Singer

Scheana Shay revealed that she was initially not ready to join The Masked Singer because she felt she might receive criticism for her singing. She explained her hesitancy by saying:

"I love performing, I love making music, I love doing all of this, but it's never been priority No. 1. So when I got this opportunity, I just didn't want another thing to be made fun of for singing on national television."

Later, she decided to participate after being encouraged by her team. Shay shared that it took some "convincing" from her team and a "great conversation" with Deena Katz and added that it was such an "incredible experience." She also expressed that she wanted to set an example for her daughter, Summer Moon, saying:

"That is something that I want my daughter to grow up and do—to not be afraid of the unknown and to take chances."

Shay said that she enjoyed her time on The Masked Singer show despite being the first contestant eliminated in her group:

"I'm glad I got that push that I needed because I would've missed out on an incredible opportunity."

Speaking about her performance, Shay said she felt happy with the judges' guesses, which included Lisa Rinna, Larsa Pippen, and Bethenny Frankel, sharing:

"Everyone they guessed me as was a compliment, and [they're] all people I'm either fans or friends of, so I loved the guesses."

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Episode 4 recap: Voices of Olympus performances and reveal

This episode of The Masked Singer featured five contestants, Bat, Boogie Woogie, Griffin, Space Ranger, and Pearl, competing for a spot in the next round. Scheana Shay's Bat performed Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. The judges praised the performance but struggled to pinpoint her identity.

Judges Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Rita Ora, and Ken Jeong made their guesses, associating Bat with reality TV personalities. At the end of the episode, however, Bat received the lowest number of votes and was eliminated. As she removed her mask, the judges and audience were surprised. Shay later reflected on the moment,

"I had fun. It was a first for me doing a competition show," she said.

Shay also addressed her clue package, which hinted at her feeling misunderstood. Referencing themes from her book My Good Side,

"Just like bats feel like they're misunderstood creatures, so am I," she said.

Looking ahead, Shay remains open to future television opportunities. She shared that she loved being a "part of the Bravo-verse" and hoped to continue in this world for a "very long time."

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New episodes of The Masked Singer air on Fox every Wednesday at 8 pm ET.