Rita Ora to Step In as ‘Masked Singer’ Season 11 Judge for Nicole Scherzinger

On Wednesday (Sept. 13), Rita Ora was announced as the next judge on The Masked Singer, joining the panel for the show’s 11th season, filling in for Nicole Scherzinger.

“We’re grateful to have the amazing @ritaora shine her light and join us as a panelist on #TheMaskedSinger Season 11!” the show shared on Instagram. Fox TV’s Instagram account replied, “Can’t wait for my girl, Rita Ora!”

The 32-year-old “I Will Never Let You Down” singer took to her Instagram Story to share her excitement, writing, “So happy the secret is finally out. I’m joining the @maskedsingerfox US! Can’t wait to try and guess who’s behind the mask with the other panelists.”

The news of Ora’s placement on the show comes amid original judge Nicole Scherzinger joining the cast of Sunset Boulevard on London’s West End. The show, presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber, opens Sept. 20 at the Savoy Theatre in London and runs through Jan. 4, 2024, so Ora will fill in for Scherzinger while she’s overseas.

“In 20 days I’ll be taking the stage as Norma Desmond alongside an incredible cast of talented humans!” The Pussycat Dolls frontwoman shared via Instagram, captioning a series of of pictures from rehearsals. Scherzinger first announced she nailed the leading role in a May 19 Instagram post.

Serving as a panelist on a reality competition won’t be new for Ora: She previously sat on the judges panel for The Masked Singer UK for four seasons, and her other credits include The Voice: Australia, The X Factor UK and America’s Next Top Model.

Season 10 of The Masked Singer — with the O.G. judging panel of Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Jenny McCarthy, alongside host Nick Cannon — premieres Sept. 27 on Fox, after a kick-off episode this past weekend unmasked Demi Lovato as Anonymouse.

See Ora’s casting announcement below.

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