When it comes to reality stars who are always on our mind, Scheana Shay frequently tops that list. In fact, when Lady Gaga was placed in a lie detector test, she admitted that she’ll miss her the most on the Vanderpump Rules reboot. While some may have feared they might not see her on their screens again, the Pump alum showed up dressed as a Bat! As the first unmasked celebrity from The Masked Singer Season 13 Group B, Scheana Shay completely stumped the panel, believing her to be another icon of the genre.
Even though she only had one song under her belt, Scheana Shay is proud of her time on Season 13, knowing how inspiring her performance was for those who might be afraid to try something out of their comfort zone. “It was exposure therapy for me. I’ve got really gnarly OCD, and doing something like this was exposure therapy on level 100,” she revealed. Will this be the last celebrity reality show Scheana Shay does? Not if she has anything about it!
Scheana Shay’s Daughter Had the Best Reaction to ‘The Masked Singer’

Image via FOX

COLLIDER: Bat has been unmasked, and it’s a reality superstar, Scheana Shay! How are you?
SCHEANA SHAY: I’m good. How are you?
I’m doing great. Congratulations on this fun run on The Masked Singer. How hard was it to keep the secret that you were bat?
SCHEANA: It was so short-lived that I only had to keep the secret for that week about where my whereabouts were, and then I just pretended like it never happened. I literally woke up, like a week later, and I go, “Did I do that? Was that a dream?” It was like a blip in time. It happened so quickly. But I turned off my location for my many people I share it with, just in case they saw I was at the studio for 12 hours one day, and then I was thinking, I’m like, “Oh my gosh, now it’s going to air,” and it was the best kept secret. It was such a fun secret to keep because so many people were like, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you did this.” I’m like, that’s the point. Surprise. I’m Bat.
I loved watching the video with you dancing with your daughter. How much fun was it to celebrate with her? And what was her reaction?
SCHEANA: That was the best. She did not find out anything until last night. I showed her a previous episode of the show, just so she understood what it was. And then last night, right when it started, I go, “Okay, Summer, I’m going to tell you something. Mommy is on this show tonight.” I go, “You know how you see mommy on TV? This is a different type of TV show, and I’m in one of the costumes.” And then she was trying to guess which one. And it was just such a cute moment. When I took it off, she was so excited. But then she came up to me, she goes, “Mommy, but I thought you were going to win” And I’m like, “Honey, I did win. I did something I was afraid to do. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and I gotta come home even sooner to you.” So I take this going home the first night as a major win in my life.
What inspired you to join the show?
SCHEANA: Fear, honestly. Being afraid of the unknown, being outside of my comfort zone, worrying if I’m claustrophobic. I don’t know, I’ve never worn anything over my face. I hate being submerged in water. I’m like, is this going to feel like this? And it was exposure therapy for me. I’ve got really gnarly OCD, and doing something like this was exposure therapy on level 100. and I was just like, “You know what? Let’s do it.” I don’t want to say no, because I’m afraid. I’m afraid of what people are going to say, how I’m going to sound. There was no backing track and autotuned mics. That was much different for me to perform, just being me, but me as Bat. And I am so thankful I said yes, because this was such an incredible opportunity. It was just done a little too soon. I had at least one more in me, I feel like.
I know you were infamous for your tattoos. Will we see a bat? A bat tat soon?
SCHEANA: You know what? When you do, you heard it here first, and you are the one who inspired it, because I think we’re going to have to do that. They’re all shaking heads in the background.
I love it.
SCHEANA: Where? Where do we do the bat? I need to add it on this arm. Totally doing that, by the way.

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Fuzzy Peas is ready to keep on singing!

Singing ‘Espresso’ Was Serendipitous

The panel had some interesting guesses for you. What was it like to be able to stump them completely?
SCHEANA: That was so fun. And that was the thing. It’s like, you want to stump them. It is a guessing game. As amazing as so many singers are on this show, it’s not a singing competition. So that was really fun to just give some clues, where they’re like, “We spent a holiday together?” And I’m like, I mean, technically, yes. It’s maybe not in the way everyone was thinking, but it absolutely threw them off. So that was so fun. And every person they thought I was, I’m like, icon, icon, icon, yes, please. Thank you for thinking I’m any of these amazingly talented, entrepreneurial women. So that was a very fun moment for me. I think if we got to my second package in song, maybe they would have figured it out. But to be able to completely stump them, that was my goal, at least for the first night.
And you got to sing arguably the biggest Song of the Year, “Espresso.” I just have to say that I think I was there at Chili’s the day of the Espresso Martini launch. It was delicious.
SCHEANA: Yes, oh my god. And singing that, terrifying. You know, it’s one of the biggest songs. I have massive shoes to fill. I don’t want to disappoint Miss Carpenter. But it was a song that was presented to me, and I was like, “Oh, I don’t know if that’s for my voice. I really have to think on it.” And that day, I flew to New Orleans to the Eras Tour, and Taylor Swift brings out Sabrina Carpenter, and they sing “Espresso” together. And I immediately text my producer, Nate, and I’m like, if that’s not a sign. I was like, “We’ll work on it.” I did vocal rehearsals every single day. I was steaming my voice. Every day, only drinking water. I cut out anything acidic. I was going through really gnarly acid reflux at the time. I was so terrified to do this for so many reasons, but we did it.
We did it. Will we hear new music from you? Because I know you’ve put out some music in the past.
SCHEANA: Yes, actually, the book was priority number one, getting “My Good Side” written and out, which is now out July 22nd. The EP I have been working on slowly for over a year now. It is completed. We just hadn’t put it out yet because, again, fear. I was afraid that people would think, “Oh, this song is totally about this person,” when it’s not. And then I have to explain myself. And the timing didn’t feel right coming off Season 11, putting out some of the songs I wanted to. So they’re all ready to go. We just shot the cover for that. That’ll be out at some point this year. I don’t know when. “My Good Side” was priority number one, but new music coming, too.
You are a bona fide reality star. What is it about the genre that fans just love?
SCHEANA: I think, with reality TV, when you can relate to someone and see them going through things that you also go through, that’s the magic behind it. And that’s exactly why I open up about everything in my book, and as much as the show has allowed me to do. Talking about my postpartum OCD and just mental health, there’s so many people who have reached out who are like, “I had no idea that these were intrusive thoughts. I didn’t know that this is what was quote, unquote, wrong with me.” And being able to relate to someone in the public eye who is putting it out there for everyone. It’s one of the biggest things I talk about in my book, and it’s the reason why I do what I do. I want people to feel less alone and to know that there are others out there that are also struggling, and we get it, and we’re a community who can all come together and support each other.
Scheana Shay Is Ready For More Reality TV

You have spoken in the past about maybe wanting to do Dancing with the Stars. Could there be more celebrity reality shows in your future? Maybe The Traitors?
SCHEANA: I would love to do Traitors. That is my new dream. I feel like The Masked Singer, you know, this was my Dancing with the Stars. This was my moment. It was a show I never would have ever thought that I would get asked to do. And, you know, now I’m like, yeah, what’s next? I’ve never done a competition show before, and I was just dipping my toes in. It was just one night and then done. So hopefully the next competition show that I do, whatever that may be, whenever, hopefully I last a little longer.
And what did you think of Tom Sandoval on The Traitors this season?
SCHEANA: It’s been a very entertaining season to watch. All of the challenges, everything, him thinking that he got it right every time when he’s sitting there talking to two traitors, it was just hilarious to watch.
It was so much fun watching you having fun. And I think that’s what’s so inspiring about The Masked Singer, is you had fear, but I think you represent that for a lot of us, because I don’t think I would ever be able to do something like that. How does it feel to know that you’ve inspired a lot of people with this one performance?
SCHEANA: I’m so incredibly proud of myself. I want to raise the daughter who takes chances, who never lets fear get in the way of telling her not to do something, unless it’s like, something super unsafe, then like, please say no. But I want her to take chances and know that it’s okay if you fall down, you get back up. And this was me setting that example. This was me doing something so completely out of my comfort zone, like really far out of it, and accomplishing it. And going home the first night was still a huge win for me, because I did something so incredible that I’m so proud of.
Now, I know we probably won’t see you on Vanderpump Rules next season, but we did see a little cameo of you on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. That was exciting. What was it like to be back in that room in a very different circumstance?
SCHEANA: Yeah. I mean, you never know where we’re gonna end up. You know, I could be at SUR having lunch one day, and, boom, there’s cameras. You never know, but it was fun to be on, I mean, not like on a set, but just to be where they’re filming another show. I’m not miked. There’s no responsibility for me to carry storyline. I just get to be kind of like a fly on the wall. I’m talking to Kyle [Richards], as I would if I ran into her anywhere else in LA and the cameras happened to catch that. It was all very organic and real. And you know, maybe more to come, we’ll see.
I love it. I am so excited for the book, for new music, anything else you can tease the fans with?
SCHEANA: All of the teasers are right here in this book. Literally, it’s like, if you think you know me, you have no idea there are so many layers I peel back. This book, it’s not just the good side, it’s everything. It’s all of me. And was really therapeutic to write this, but I did it. It’s scary, and it’ll be out July 22nd.
Congratulations. I am going to have an Espresso Martini in your honor tonight.
SCHEANA: Oh my gosh, that sounds so good. I might do the same.