The Masked Singerseason 14 premieres in January 2026, and there’s been some speculation that Nicole Scherzinger could return as a panelist, but that would be a big mistake.Nicole was an originalMasked Singerpanelistalongside Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, and Ken Jeong when the show premiered in January 2019, but she left the show after ten seasons in 2024, and Rita Ora took her place.
Nicole exitedThe Masked Singerin order to star as Norma Desmond in London’s West End revival ofSunset Boulevard.She received rave reviews for the role, and won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. When the show transferred to Broadway, Nicole continued in the role, and she won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Now thatSunset Boulevardis closing on June 09, 2025, Nicole might have the time to return forThe Masked Singerseason 14, but it would probably be a bad idea.
1Nicole Scherzinger Has Moved Past The Masked Singer
Returning To The Show Would Be A Step Backward For Nicole
Since Nicole leftThe Masked Singer, she’s achieved tremendous success, especially in the theater world. Although she loves the show, she’s moved past it now, and returning to it would be a step backward for her. Nicole has gained the attention and respect of so many new people who didn’t know about her tremendous talents before her Broadway debut, andshe shouldn’t go back to being a panelist on a zany reality TV show when she’s at the height of her career.
This is not meant to insultThe Masked Singerin any way because it’s one of the best reality TV shows ever. However, Nicole isn’t a comedian or a TV personality like Ken and Jenny, and she’s moved beyond being a pop star like Robin now.She’s a respected Olivier and Tony Award-winning actress and singer who should set her sets on bigger things than reality TV. Nicole can do anything she wants at the moment, and returning toThe Masked Singershouldn’t be at the top of that list.
In addition, now might not bethe best time for Nicole to return toThe Masked Singerbecause the show is skipping its fall season, which could be a bad sign for its future. While it’s unlikely that the show will be canceled after season 14,Nicole should steer clear of it right now when she has such a bright future in other areas of the entertainment industry. It would be a shame for her to return to the show, only for it to end shortly after.
Also, people might blame Nicole ifThe Masked Singerends after her return, which could destroy all of the success that she’s worked so hard to build.Nicole should use her time in the spotlight to do everything that she wants to do while it lasts, and she’s already doneThe Masked Singer.
2Nicole Should Focus On Her Own Music Career
Nicole Is An Outstanding Singer & Performer
Nicole rose to superstardom as a member of the girl group the Pussycat Dolls, who are one of the best-selling female groups of all-time. Before that, she was a member of the girl group, Eden’s Crush, which was formed on the WB seriesPopstars.Nicole also released two solo albumscalledKiller LoveandBig Fat Lie. With the Pussycat Dolls, Nicole was nominated for the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for their song, “Stickwitu.”
On July 30, 2025,Nicole will make her Carnegie Hall debut, singing songs from the worlds of Broadway and pop. This is a very prestigious venue, and it indicates that she’s at the top of her game. Nicole also sang the Pussycat Dolls song “Buttons” with the cast ofSunset Boulevardat the 2025 Broadway Bares fundraising event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. She earned rave reviews for the performance, and people were delighted to see her sing a Pussycat Dolls song again, which means that they want her to revitalize her pop music career. In an Instagram post,Nicoleposted the performance.
In the comments section of the post, singerJewel, who wonThe Masked Singerseason 6 as Queen of Hearts, wrote,“This is your era,“which completely summed up what’s been happening for Nicole in the past year. She should continue to focus on her own music career while all eyes are on her, and she’s in demand. Returning toThe Masked Singermight hinder her ability to do that.
3Nicole Has Established Herself As A Tony Award-Winning Broadway Star
Nicole Should Continue To Pursue Musical Theater
Now that Nicole has won the Olivier and Tony Awards, she’s established herself as a theater star, and Broadway will certainly come calling again. Not only has she played Norma Desmond inSunset Boulevard, but she was also nominated for an Olivier Award in 2015 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for playing the role ofGrizabellain the West End production ofCats.Nicole also played Grace in NBC’s musical television specialAnnie Live!in 2021.
In addition to performing live, Nicole also played Moana’s mother, Sina, in the animated filmsMoanaandMoana 2.Nicole has been establishing herself as a musical theater gem for many years, and her version of “Memory” fromCatsis one of the most impressive in history. She also reinvented the role of Norma Desmond, which was not an easy feat after so many iconic actresses played the role before her. Nicole is truly gifted and has one of the best voices of her generation.
Through these roles,Nicole has proven that she’s not only a spectacular singer, but a sensational actress as well. She’ll surely be the top choice for many future roles, whether on Broadway or other projects. If Nicole gets tied up withThe Masked Singerschedule right now, then she could miss new opportunities. It would be better for her to keep her options open right now and not return to the show.
4Nicole’s New Netflix Show Building The Band Gives Her More Creative Freedom Than The Masked Singer
Nicole Can Produce New Musical Acts
On June 01, 2025,Nicole’s new singing competition series,Building the Band, will premiere on Netflix. She’ll serve as a judge and mentor, along with Kelly Rowland and the late Liam Payne, while AJ McLean will host. The show wrapped filming in August 2024, but was delayed after Liam’s untimely passing.
Building the Bandhas a very unique concept because it features 50 contestants forming bands sight unseen, based solely on their vocal abilities. As they build their bands, they’ll at first rely on how they connect musically. After the bands are formed, they’ll meet face to face, and then consider their choreography and style. This is a refreshing idea because looks so often come into play in the music industry, and the contestants won’t be able to see each other before committing to one another.
Nicole was the perfect person forBuilding the Bandbecause she has a history of success with singing competition series.She was instrumental in forming Liam’s band, One Direction, onThe X Factor UK.She worked with Simon Cowell to put together contestants Liam, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson to form a supergroup. One Direction then went on to become one of the most popular bands of all-time, due in part to Nicole’s creativity and her belief in them.
OnThe Masked Singer,Nicole’s job is to guess the identitiesof already-established celebrities based on their voices and clues. After the show, the contestants go on with their lives, and the panelists have nothing to do with their musical pursuits. However,Building the Bandwill give Nicole the chance to possibly create something amazing musically. If Nicole returns toThe Masked Singer, this could prevent her from committing to future seasons ofBuilding the Bandif the show turns out to be a success. Nicole should see what happens with her new series, and use it to work her magic by creating new music acts that take the world by storm.
5Rita Ora Is Doing A Fantastic Job As Nicole’s Masked Singer Replacement
The Current Panel Works Well Together
Nicole was a belovedMasked Singerpanelist, so many people wondered if Rita would be able to fill her shoes. However, it turned out that they had nothing to worry about becauseRita has done a phenomenal job. She was aMasked Singer UKpanelist before she took Nicole’s place, so she had experience with the show. She’d even worked with Ken during season 1 of the UK version of the show, so they were already friends.
During her time onThe Masked Singer,Nicole entertained everyone with her fabulous performances, including standouts such as “Memory” and “Fame.” However, she proved that she wasn’t only an incredible entertainer, but also that she was made to be aMasked Singerpanelist because she was so good at putting together the clues.Host Nick Cannon even nicknamed her Sherlock Scherzybecause she was so good at using her detective skills, like Sherlock Holmes, in order to figure out who the contestants were.
However,Rita has also given incredible performances in her threeMasked Singerseasons, and she’s made many correct guesses. Plus, she has just as much chemistry with Robin, Jenny, and Ken as Nicole did. Rita has performed, joked, and solved the mysteries of the contestants' identities with them. It’s good to know that, if Nicole decides not to return toThe Masked Singer, Rita is the perfect replacement for her.
The Masked Singerfans have gotten used to having Rita on the panel, and, although they miss Nicole, it might not be the time for the show to make changes. It has a good thing going, and the panel gets along well with each other. Bringing Nicole back now would be a disruption thatThe Masked Singerdoesn’t need when its schedule has already been changed by skipping its fall season.Too much change could cause the show to lose viewers.
While it would be wonderful to see Nicole return toThe Masked Singer, now isn’t the time for her to make such a career move. She should continue to ride this wave of success afterSunset Boulevardand see what happens withBuilding the Bandbefore she decides to go back to the show.Nicole is an extraordinary singer and entertainer and the possibilities for her future are endless.
