Rita Ora joins “The Masked Singer” panel in place of Nicole Scherzinger again for season 12 (exclusive)
The Pussycat Dolls singer is set to star in 'Sunset Boulevard' on Broadway later this year.
Rita Ora is not giving her final guess on The Masked Singer stage just yet.
The British singer-songwriter, who first joined the hit disguised celebrity singing show in season 11 to replace Nicole Scherzinger, will be returning as a panelist once more in its upcoming 12th season, Entertainment Weekly can exclusively confirm.
The show welcomes her back alongside series mainstays Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Walhberg, Robin Thicke, and host Nick Cannon. Although Scherzinger will not be returning to the judges' desk this time around, it's understood that no casting decisions have been made for any future seasons beyond season 12, and the door is open for her return. EW has reached out to Scherzinger's reps for comment.
Michael Becker / FOX
Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Rita Ora, and Ken Jeong on 'The Masked Singer'The Pussycat Dolls singer first stepped away from the show after 10 seasons due to a scheduling conflict, with Scherzinger starring in Sunset Boulevard on London's West End. Her performance earned her Best Actress in a Musical at the Olivier Awards, the British equivalent of the Tonys. She is now Broadway bound as the production moves to New York City with performances beginning Sept. 28 and an official opening set for Oct. 20.
Ahead of season 10, EW asked Scherzinger if she planned to continue on the series, should it get renewed for many more seasons. "Oh my gosh, I would love to, are you kidding me?" she said at the time. "I love my [Masked Singer] family. And it's such a great job. Are you kidding? I love it. Yes."
During her absence on season 11, Jeong was fond of guessing that Scherzinger was actually under one of the masks. Not much is yet known about season 12, but perhaps Jeong could get his wish and maybe the songstress is swapping her panelist duties for that of a contestant — hear us out — stranger things have happened on the kooky show (remember Cannon as the Bulldog, or McCarthy-Wahlberg's husband Donnie Wahlberg as Cluedle-Doo?).
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As for Ora, she was no stranger to the bonkers show before joining last season, having already been a panelist for five seasons of the U.K. version of The Masked Singer. Ahead of season 11, EW asked if Ora would be open to doing more seasons stateside if she got the chance. "I would love [that]," she said at the time. "I've had such a great experience, and yeah, who knows? I'm really grateful that they have me on the show. I love it. It's so fun."
Related: The Masked Singer swaps Nicole Scherzinger for Rita Ora as season 11 panelist
Production began last week on season 12 and the new episodes are slated to air this fall on FOX.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
