The 'Masked Singer' judge opened up to ET about the show's 'softer side' and how it's given some stars a real 'sense of redemption.'
*Caution: Spoilers regarding the latest episode of The Masked Singer*
The Masked Singer's Nicole Scherzinger is opening up about the latest celebrity reveal, and the deeper meaning behind the surface-level wackiness of the hit Fox series.
The Masked Singer revealed another costumed contestant on Wednesday when The Unicorn was unmasked and revealed to be actress Tori Spelling -- which was a surprise for the judges, while at the same time was one of the most popular guesses among Twitter sleuths.
"When The Unicorn revealed herself, I was completely like, 'Oh my gosh, I totally see it now. Why didn't i get it?'" Scherzinger recently told ET during a sit down interview about the megahit reality singing competition.
During her time on the show, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress gave a slew of clues -- some more overt than others -- but also somberly reflected on some of the tougher moments from her childhood, including her complicated relationship with her family, all behind a guise of anonymity.
In her final appearance on the show, The Unicorn, while still masked, brought out a physical object to serve as a clue to her identity, and she chose a typewriter belonging to her famous father, who we now know is the late Aaron Spelling.
It was a moment that Scherzinger said was "special" and a "beautiful" example of why The Masked Singer is more than just a fun, weird show about secret identities.
"What's so special and enduring about the show is that it's crazy and it's a bit trippy, but then you have the softer side, where people come on and feel a sense of redemption and a feeling of transformation and growth through this process," Scherzinger shared.
"I just love the fact that these contestants feel like the world has judged them [or] feel like the world places a lot of judgment on them, and they want to be able to share who they really are," she added. "Not by what they think they are but who they are in their heart."
The singer/TV personality explained how, paradoxically because of their masks, the stars who come on the show get to tell "their own true story."
Scherzinger also noted how the temporary anonymity also seems to bestow upon the celebrities the courage needed to "take that stage and sing and then to really tell their own true authentic story."
One aspect of the show that fans seem to love is the wild and sometimes wacky guesses about the contestants' identities that Scherzinger makes, alongside her fellow judges -- Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy and Ken Jeong.
While the guesses themselves are often total shots in the dark -- after all, the panel of judges are kept in the dark as much as the audience and viewers at home -- the singer said that the panel is usually pretty good at determining certain things about the performers from their voices and their physicality.
"I think, for the most part, we're pretty on point with gaging the maturity and the age of the contestants through their voices," Scherzinger reflected. "We're pretty on it, especially Robin and I, with who's trained and who is a professional or seasoned voice."
Ultimately, whether they are professional singers or not, the point of the show is to have fun, be mysterious, and for the stars to share a side of themselves that the world may not have seen before.
For Scherzinger, she feels the proudest of this first batch of stars who signed on to perform in front of America long before anyone knew how big of a hit The Masked Singer would end up becoming.
"When the show came out and I saw how much people were enjoying it and gravitating towards it, I was happy for everyone cause they were the brave ones, the first ones to do it and say, 'I wanna be a part of this show. I wanna have the courage to share my side of my story,'" she explained. "So, I hope the contestants are really proud and happy they were a part of the show."
A whole new group of stars will get the chance to don masks and sing for America in the future, as it was announced on Wednesday that the show has gotten picked up for a second season.
'The response to The Masked Singer has been fantastic and we are thrilled to bring it back for another season," said Rob Wade, Fox's president of Alternative Entertainment and Specials, in a statement announcing the renewal. "I am so happy to see a singing Peacock burst into pop culture! The Masked Singer is unique, bold, original, and embraces the DNA of all the best Fox unscripted shows. We look forward to season two being even more fun, weird, and wonderful than the first."
The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
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