Nicole Scherzinger’s Journey: From The Pussycat Dolls to The Masked Singer

In 2003, Nicole Scherzinger’s journey to fame truly began when she became a Pussycat Doll — even though she didn’t fully relate to the group’s super sexy, risqué aesthetic. “I came in with a big huge blouse, buttoned all the way to the top, and my glasses, because I couldn’t see,” she recalled of her audition to Entertainment Weekly. “I was just going to sing these people out of the room.”

Scherzinger didn’t truly understand the band’s penchant for wearing lingerie as outerwear, either. “I come from a strong religious background, and I had a very conservative upbringing,” she told the Independent. “So I was nervous, and confused. Here I was wanting to be Whitney Houston, so why did I have to dress in lingerie to do that? I didn’t get it.”

Despite not totally assimilating with the Pussycat Dolls’ overtly sexual vibe, Scherzinger certainly didn’t quell their success. The Pussycat Dolls burst onto the music scene in 2005 with their single “Don’t Cha,” which hit number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became certified double platinum by the RIAA. The pop stars also had a string of other hits from their 2005 debut album, “PCD” (which also went double platinum) including “Buttons,” and “Stickwitu.” “We had no idea we were going to be a global success,” Scherzinger later told 7 News. “We toured all around the world, and I loved that.”

Though the Pussycat Dolls quickly became one of the biggest bands in the world, Nicole Scherzinger had her sights set on a solo career — following in the footsteps of Victoria Beckham, who experienced her own transformation after leaving the Spice Girls. “I was relentless with [Interscope Records’ Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair] from day one,” Scherzinger told Entertainment Weekly. “I said, ‘You gotta give me a chance, man. I know I can do this.'”

While the Pussycat Dolls were still together, Scherzinger finally got her solo shot. She’d started working on her debut album, “Her Name Is Nicole,” in 2005. It was scheduled to drop in 2007, but the release date was repeatedly pushed back. Though she dropped a handful of singles with big names in 2007 — including “Whatever U Like” with T.I. and “Baby Love” with will.i.am – Scherzinger didn’t see the same success alone as with the band, and her “Her Name Is Nicole” was never released. “The fans weren’t ready for a Nicole album yet. I understood that,” she told The Telegraph.

Amid the disappointment over her solo career, Scherzinger continued to thrive with the Pussycat Dolls. They released their second album, “Doll Domination,” in 2008 and had a roster of other successful singles, including “When I Grow Up” and “Jai Ho.” The following year, though, the band announced a hiatus. Scherzinger’s bandmate Melody Thornton told MTV News, “Right now the Pussycat Dolls are on a break. It’s actually a much-needed break.”

As the Pussycat Dolls stepped back from the spotlight, Nicole Scherzinger kept her name in the headlines. She rebooted her career when she won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2010, where she competed with her pro partner Derek Hough against the likes of Buzz Aldrin and Pamela Anderson (who has embraced going makeup free in recent years). Scherzinger’s stint on the ABC show wasn’t without controversy, though, as some viewers took issue with her dance background.

“People said, ‘Oh, she’s a professional dancer.’ No, actually I’m a professional singer, but you know what, I am a performer. But I feel like people got to grow along with me on the show and they got to really know me,” she told Entertainment Weekly. The “Right There” singer added that she was happy the world got to see her away from the band. “Most people just know me in that one light. They didn’t really get to know Nicole … They didn’t really get to connect with me,” she said.

It was confirmed later that year that she was no longer a part of the Pussycat Dolls. “We had our time,” the “Poison” singer told News of the World (via Digital Spy). She later explained to The Daily Beast of the split, “The Dolls had been together for six years and at the end of the day, we’re individuals and we want to do our own thing. A few of the girls actually left the group and I didn’t want to be in a group with different girls. I figured that was the right timing to go back to the studio … and do my music.”

Though Nicole Scherzinger’s solo music failed to set the world on fire in 2007, she had more success with the album “Killer Love” in 2011. She embarked on her first solo U.K. tour and appeared more connected to her music and image than ever. “I just wasn’t comfortable wearing those clothes. I was a singer first, always,” she told Vogue of the Pussycat Dolls’ spicy look. “I think over time I was able to find my own style.”

Also in 2011, she became a judge on “The X Factor” after initially being hired as a co-host. She slipped into her judging role in the U.S. after making a guest appearance on the U.K. version of the show, where she helped form One Direction. “When they asked me to be a judge [on ‘The X Factor,’] I was ecstatic because I can actually give back and be a mentor and have a voice in that way,” she told The Daily Beast. 

Scherzinger was looking for projects that distanced her from her girl band reputation, she told Billboard. “[With the] Pussycat Dolls it just naturally happens that people put you in a box. With ‘The X Factor’ I get to come out,” she said. The star only appeared on one season of the U.S. version of “The X Factor,” but headed across the pond in 2012 to become a full-time judge on the U.K. show. As she moved on to new pastures, Scherzinger didn’t stay close with her bandmates. “We’re not in touch. We’re all busy, and I’m happy for everyone,” she told Elle Canada.

Though Nicole Scherzinger’s life seemed perfect from the outside, in 2012, she bravely opened up about the difficult side of fame and her experience with an eating disorder. Speaking on “Behind the Music,” the “Don’t Hold Your Breath” singer shared she’d experienced bulimia during the height of the Pussycat Dolls’ fame. “It’s like when I got off stage, I was on this high, and I’d come back to my room and I’d be alone,” she said (via Entertainment Weekly). “My bulimia was my addiction; hurting myself was my addiction.” 

Scherzinger’s disordered eating lasted several years, but thankfully, she eventually realized her relationship to food needed a closer look and got the help she needed. The singer told the Independent she worked through her bulimia by undergoing therapy and working with life coaches. 

Five years later, the Hawaii native spoke candidly to the Cosmopolitan about the impact bulimia had on her life. “It was very imprisoning and it stole all of my happiness, confidence and memories,” she said. She added that she didn’t regret going public with her story because she wanted to help people who could relate to her struggles.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA’s Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

By 2013, Nicole Scherzinger was juggling her “X Factor” gig and new music. The star released the singles “Boomerang” and “Your Love,” plus her second album “Big Fat Lie,” before her career took a big turn. In 2014, she landed a new gig in London, appearing in a West End production of “Cats.” “I couldn’t be more excited,” she said in a statement (via Playbill). “I am truly honoured to have been asked to take part in what I know will be a very special time in my career.”

But while Scherzinger’s career overall was still on the up, her solo music work was floundering. In 2015, The Sun claimed she’d parted ways with her record label. “There is a feeling that Nicole didn’t get the support she needed on the release to make it a success,” one anonymous source alleged (via Daily Mail). Speaking to HuffPost UK, Scherzinger denied being dropped. “I’ve got a new deal coming out. It was rumored all this year that I was dropped and I actually wasn’t dropped,” she said. “I was signing a new deal, with another label,” she added. Still, Scherzinger didn’t release another solo single after 2014’s “Bang.”

Instead, she turned her attention to other projects. The star landed the role of Sina in the 2016 Disney movie “Moana,” which held a special place in her heart. “I felt I had to be a part of the project, and that’s because I’m from Hawaiian descent,” she told Viva Veltoro. “I knew that the movie was gonna be about the Polynesian people and don’t think Disney ever really did a film like that.” She’d later reprise the role for “Moana 2.”

2019 was a huge year for Nicole Scherzinger. With her solo music career on the backburner, she returned to screens in another judging position when she joined the panel for the first season of “The Masked Singer.” The competition show, which sees celebrities like Candace Cameron Bure (who’s also had a total transformation) sing anonymously in costume, became one of her most notable gigs ever. “The show sounded completely bonkers and crazy. I love bonkers and crazy. It’s something different, something I’d never seen before. We don’t even have anything like this in the States,” she told BuzzFeed.

Later that year, Scherzinger headed back to the U.K. to serve on the panel for “The X Factor: Celebrity,” which saw famous faces compete as singers. Scottish rugby player Thom Evans appeared on the series and sparks flew between him and the superstar. The two made their red carpet debut in January 2020 and he opened up about how their romance began in a 2021 interview with The Sun. “I was just like, ‘She’s out of my league,'” he recalled of their first meeting. But a few weeks into the competition, Evans visited Scherzinger’s dressing room, and they never looked back. “Within the first couple of days with Nicole, it was just awesome, and it has been awesome ever since,” he gushed. 

In 2023, Scherzinger confirmed Evans had popped the question in a sweet Instagram post. She shared adorable photos (thankfully avoiding the awkward celebrity PDA trap) from his beach proposal and wrote in the caption, “I said yes.”

Despite the Pussycat Dolls’ messy celeb friendship breakup, fans got a treat in 2019 when Nicole Scherzinger’s career came full circle and she reunited with former bandmates Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar, and Ashley Roberts (Melody Thornton sat out the reunion). The fivesome performed together for the first time in 10 years on “The X Factor” and announced a U.K. tour. However, the COVID-19 pandemic postponed the shows and, in early 2022, Scherzinger announced the tour was canceled in an Instagram Story (via Page Six).

Things then turned sour between Scherzinger and the Pussycat Dolls founder, Robin Antin, when Antin sued Scherzinger, alleging she refused to be a part of the reunion tour following the postponement. Scherzinger denied Antin’s allegations via her lawyer, who said in a statement (via BBC News), “Robin will fail in her efforts to trade on Nicole’s hard-earned success to pull herself out of a deep financial hole she has created by her own poor business and professional decisions.” In 2024, Page Six confirmed the two had reached a settlement.

Also in 2024, Scherzinger opened up about how much her life and perspective had changed since being in the band. The multi-hyphenate told Vogue, “I think the initial idea of the Dolls was to be sexy for others, where I think for the women of today, their sex appeal is for themselves. Real strength is loving yourself, embracing yourself.” She’s certainly practiced what she’s preached, as Scherzinger has shared some gorgeous makeup-free photos online.

Nicole Scherzinger announced she was leaving her judging role on “The Masked Singer” after 10 seasons in 2023. “This was a hard decision for me to make because I was gonna have to say goodbye to some things, to my ‘Masked Singer’ family,” she said on “Today.” But she had good reason for leaving the gig behind. Scherzinger returned to London to appear in a critically acclaimed West End revival of “Sunset Boulevard,” which later moved to Broadway in 2024.

The star explained she connected deeply with her character Norma Desmond. “I know what it’s like to be dismissed I know what it’s like to be discarded … I connected to her feeling of loneliness,” she told Vogue. Scherzinger’s starring role, which earned her a Tony nomination, made the revival a huge hit. She received a six-minute standing ovation for her Broadway debut. Scherzinger’s fellow celebrities publicly praised her too, including Oprah Winfrey. “She was vibrating at the highest level, so much so that we were giving her a standing ovation in the middle of the show. It’s an experience I will never forget,” Winfrey wrote on Instagram after attending a show.

“I’ve come a long way from little Nicole and where I come from and very humble beginnings,” Scherzinger told Extra. “I’ve gone through a lot of no’s and a lot of rejections to get here, and I think why I’m so grateful is I’m really proud of the show and the work that we’re doing,” she added, having truly conquered life as a popstar, talent show judge, and musical theater superstar.