Originally appeared on E! Online
Teddi Mellencamp is amazed at how much she blossomed on The Masked Singer.
After the Feb. 4 episode of the singing competition revealed that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum was the face and voice behind Calla Lily, the 44-year-old shared what it was like for her going through that experience after being diagnosed with stage two melanoma in 2022 that ultimately metastasized to her brain and her lungs as well as lead to multiple brain tumors.
“Doing the show meant a lot,” Teddi shared with E! News’ Will Marfuggi in an exclusive interview, “because it showed me that I could do it and can do anything I put my mind to.”
And having the chance to appear on The Masked Singer—which she shared is a favorite of her and estranged husband Edwin Arroyave’s kids Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5—gave her something to look forward to as it was a reason to leave the house.
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“I can get emotional just talking about it,” Teddi said, “but being able to go there and do that and make it through and know that I can do that even in the position that I was then—it’s really good.”
“Everybody on that show was so incredible,” she continued. “You felt so supported, so taken care of. There’s just so much love on that show.”
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC; Rich Polk/Bravo
And that feeling was far cry from what she experienced on the Real Housewives, with her joking she comes from the side of reality television where everybody is “trying to get at each other.” Whereas on the Fox competition series, “They really wanna make you the best that you can be.”
The show also gave her the opportunity to sing her father John Cougar Mellencamp’s 1982 hit “Jack and Diane” on the Feb. 4 episode, with the Grammy winner even joining Teddi to watch her performance. And while she doesn’t consider herself a singer, even her father was impressed, telling her, “‘You know, that was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be.’”
“I’m just glad I went out there and had some fun and got to sing one of my dad’s songs,” Teddi added. “Who gets to say that?”
But watching the episode back was certainly emotional for the reality star, who noted the huge difference she could see between now and when they filmed the series.
“I was really shaky,” Teddi explained. “You could see my hands kind of [shaking] during the show. Just being able to watch back and see the improvement that’s happened since then.”
Teddi Mellencamp/Instagram
As for how she’s feeling now, the Bravo star is grateful to be in a much better place physically as doctors had found no detectable traces of cancer. However, the mental toll of her cancer journey was now weighing heavily.
“Mentally, I’ve started to unpack all of that now,” Teddi shared, “and so I think I’m more emotional and going through what I actually went through.”
“I think at first you’re just kind of white knuckling it,” she explained. “You don’t really think about all the things that you went through to get there. You’re in fight or flight for a long time. When you can kind of take a step back, it shocks you ‘cause you don’t expect it.”
Now that The Masked Singer is all over, is there anything Teddi wishes she could have done differently?
“Watching it back I wish I was a little bit more confident going in, or I wish I was a little bit stronger,” she said. “But no, I think I went in and I was myself. I’m not a singer by trade by any means and I just went in and had fun.”
For a look at all the stars who are ready for their turn in the spotlight on this season of The Masked Singer, keep reading.
Googly Eyes: Eliminated Week 1
The Masked Singer’s tallest costume was revealed to be Boston Rex Sox legend David Ortiz, who was sent home on the season 14 premiere.
Cat Witch
Descendants star Kylie Cantrall revealed herself to be under the Cat Witch mask, taking fans behind the scenes—all without the judges finding out her true identity.
The Croissants: Eliminated Week 1
After being teased on the premiere episode, The Croissants were unmasked and revealed to be reality stars Julie Chrisley and Todd Chrisley.
Le Who Who: Eliminated Week 2
Despite having the crowd in stiches, Le Who Who was found to be none other than comedian Tiffany Haddish and sent home during week two.
Handyman: Eliminated Week 3
That signature voice could only belong to one man: “Funky Cold Medina” rapper Tone Loc.
Scarab: Eliminated Week 3
The judges and audience were shocked when it was time for the Scarab to take her final bow and was revealed to be Empire star and Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson.
Queen Corgi: Eliminated Week 4
Queen Corgi surprised everyone when she decided to withdraw from the competition before the final reveal, unmasking herself as comedian and podcast host Claudia Oshry.
Calla Lily: Eliminated Week 5
Calla Lily said an emotional goodbye as it was revealed that she was Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Teddi Mellencamp, who was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors in 2025.
Stingray
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Snow Cone
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Pugcasso
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Pangolin
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Owl
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
High Voltage
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Galaxy Girl
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Crane
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Eggplant
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
Karot Carrot
Michael Becker / FOX. © 2026 FOX Media LLC
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