Nicole Scherzinger was on the first ten seasons of The Masked Singer. She left over two years ago but fans of the reality show have been begging for her to return. Keep reading to find out more about why she’ll likely never return.

The Masked Singer Returns With New Season

Rita Ora took over as a judge when Nicole Scherzinger left The Masked Singer. She joined Jenny McCarthy Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Robin Thicke at the judges’ table. The popular reality show returned with an all-new season on Wednesday, January 7.
Nicole Scherzinger/Credit: YouTube
The season premiere featured a surprising double elimination that sent an MLB legend home on night one. But the Fox show saved the second elimination for next week.

Nicole Scherzinger’s Excuse For Never Returning

Nicole Scherzinger was one of the best judges at guessing the celebrity under the mask season after season. However, she left after Season 10 for a huge opportunity on Broadway. She portrayed Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, first in London and then New York City.

She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. The Masked Singer alum took home the top prize for Best Actress in a Musical, beating out Broadway heavyweights Megan Hilty and Audra McDonald.

After her Broadway stint Nicole Scherzinger went on to judge Netflix’s Building The Band. But fans hoped she would come back to The Masked Singer. She hasn’t yet and she has a good excuse.
Nicole Scherzinger/Credit: YouTube
A source spilled the real reasons viewers might not ever see Nicole Scherzinger back on The Masked Singer. “Nicole was so loved on the show, but she became too big a star. And too expensive,” an insider told The U.S. Sun.

The source continued, “After all the Broadway buzz, she became too high-brow, too elevated, for Masked Singer.” The insider claimed that at some point, it “became clear that this show was beneath her at a certain point, and coming back would be a mistake.”

The source offered a glimmer of hope that Nicole Scherzinger could return someday. “The show is saving a lot of money with Nicole gone. Rita is cheaper. If the price was right, Nicole could have come back, potentially, sure.”

But right now, they can’t afford her.

Fans Slam Croissants’ Identity

The Masked Singer host Nick Cannon promised viewers a double elimination on the Season 14 premiere. However, the show only unveiled one masked celebrity. The other elimination of a duo happens on next week’s episode. But fans already think they know who is under the Croissants masks: embattled reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley.

The reality TV couple was convicted of fraud in 2022 and sent to prison. However, President Trump issued them both pardons in 2025. The clues package alluded to the Croissants facing legal trouble. Fans of the show took to Reddit to discuss the reality show and agreed that Todd and Julie Chrisley are the Croissants.

“Absolutely the Chrisley’s”
“10000% them I shouted I KNEW IT!!”
“I was only half paying attention and immediately knew this was them. And I don’t really even know who they are!”
“Straight up one of the easiest to guess in masked singer history”
“I told my husband it didn’t even sound like they tried to mask Todd’s voice”

But viewers won’t know for sure until the episode on January 14. Tell us in the comments if you think Nicole Scherzinger will ever return.