The Masked Singer has mostly had the same panel since its inception in 2019, aside from Rita Ora replacing Nicole Scherzinger in 2024. It makes us wonder if the show should switch up the rest of the panel sometime soon.
Should The Masked Singer Update Its Panel?
Nicole Scherzinger served as a panelist on The Masked Singer for the first 10 seasons, before being replaced by former Masked Singer UKpanelist Rita Ora. Although Scherzinger had a great rapport with fellow panelists Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, and Ken Jeong, Ora has fit right in for three seasons now.
The inclusion of singers such as Ora, Scherzinger, and Thicke means that we get to watch musical performances from at least part of the panel each season, while Jeong and McCarthy bring humor to the table. But there are plenty of singers and comedians who could theoretically sit on the panel instead.
The show has had several guest panelists over the years who have proven to be entertaining — including Joel McHale, Will Arnett, and Niecy Nash. It might also be fun to have a previous contestant join the panel permanently, so they can provide some unique insight into the competition.
Even if the show opts to keep the same permanent panelists, making guest judges a more regular feature could go a long way in keeping the show fresh. Only a few guests have sat on the panel in the most recent seasons, which is a big shift from the early years.
What Do Fans Think of the Show’s Panel?
Fans have expressed their opinions about the Masked Singer panel since the show first premiered on FOX. While everyone has their favorites and least favorites, complaints about the panelists are a common occurrence.
Back in 2019, a fan posted a thread on Reddit saying they were already “over the judges,” writing, “Jenny is obviously annoying. Nicole cries every episode for some reason and Ken’s ‘I know exactly who this is’ joke is sooooo played out and heavy handed at this point. I literally am to the point where I fast forward through the judges.”
Two years later, another Reddit user posted that they thought the panelists were “so unnatural, scripted, campy and over the top.” Someone else commented that they thought some of the guest judges were “more enjoyable” than the regular panelists.
What do you think? Should The Masked Singer switch up their panel in future seasons? Do you like the current panel? Let us know on X!
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
