Which 'Masked Singer' Judge Should Jay Pharoah Replace?

The Masked Singer is one of the most popular singing competition shows in the game right now, and a lot of that popularity is due to the unbelievable chemistry between the show’s judges, Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nichole Scherzinger, and Robin Thicke. It’s incredibly difficult to be a standout guest judge when the full-time judges already have such a close relationship. One person who was able to make a great impression on the audience was comedian Jay Pharoah, which begs the question: If one of the judges were to be replaced by the SNL funnyman, who could be replaced without sacrificing any of the chemistry that made The Masked Singer a hit?

Jay Pharoah was an immediate fan favorite

Pharoah appeared as a guest judge on the hit Fox competition show during the show’s third season. He impressed fans of the show with his impressions, with his Jay Z impression getting a ton of laughs. He even had his fellow judges, most notably Ken Jeong, in stitches with his commentary. With such a stellar debut on the show, it’s no wonder that audiences wanted more.

The panel of judges already has one comedian in the form of Ken Jeong. The Crazy Rich Asians actor brings plenty of laughs on his own, but he especially shines when former co-stars, like Community’s Joel McHale, come and guest judge. McHale in particular is a popular guest, judging by the fact that he’s made appearances every season. With a fellow comedian like Pharoah as part of the crew, Jeong’s charisma would shine even more. It’d be hard to imagine the show without him, so even though we love Pharoah, he won’t be replacing Jeong.

Nichole Sherzinger and Robin Thicke are the two singers of the group. Both have had incredible success with their musical career which has directly impacted their ability to make educated guesses about the performers on stage. In competition shows like this one, it’s vital to have judges with experience in the talents displayed by the contestants. It’s too difficult to come up with a reason to leave either of them off the judging table, so we won’t even try. Sherzinger and Thicke are both too important to the show to be replaced.

Jenny McCarthy is the last judge on the panel. The former Playboy model and radio show host has been on all three seasons of The Masked Singer, but she’s a bit more controversial than her fellow judges, although Robin Thicke is probably a close second thanks to his song “Blurred Lines.” McCarthy’s claims that her son’s autism was caused by vaccinations lost her a lot of respect. There’s also the matter of the Change.org petition to have McCarthy removed as a judge.

McCarthy also doesn’t have much musical experience and though she’s definitely an entertainer, she still doesn’t quite possess Ken Jeong’s natural charisma or his effortless humor. McCarthy is a charming addition to the show, but it’s clear that the other judges have more to offer, so perhaps swapping her out for Pharoah will help give the already hit show a bit of an extra boost and soothe fan complaints about her presence.

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