Teddi Mellencamp has one of the iconic final names in music, so it’s no shock that she turned to her well-known father, John Mellencamp, for recommendation earlier than taking over The Masked Singer.
“My dad mentioned, ‘Simply sing loud and proud, and if you happen to don’t hit a notice, you don’t hit a notice, however so long as you’re giving it your all, that’s what issues,’” the previous Bravo star, 44, solely instructed Us Weekly after her unmasking in the course of the Wednesday, February 4, episode of the Fox singing competitors. “And in order that’s what I used to be doing.”
Teddi didn’t initially inform John, 74, that she’d landed a gig on The Masked Singer, however when it got here time to indicate off her pipes, she determined it was time to ask the Grammy winner for some suggestions.
“As soon as I used to be singing a music, then I talked to him about it. I wanted recommendation,” she. “He’s like, ‘Don’t go on the market making an attempt to suppose that you just’re a singer. Simply go on the market and sing the music the way in which you’ll if you happen to have been singing alongside. Have enjoyable.’”
The recommendation appears to have labored, as a result of Teddi blew the judges away together with her performances of Rachel Platten’s “Struggle Track” and her dad’s “Jack & Diane.” The previous music, she defined, has change into “an anthem” for her as she battles stage IV melanoma. (A scan in October 2025 confirmed “no detectable most cancers,” however Teddi defined on her podcast final month that she’s nonetheless thought of stage IV whereas she stays on immunotherapy.)
“I’m most likely even going to get emotional speaking about it,” Teddi mentioned of Platten’s inspiring monitor. “I’m virtually a 12 months [after] having all my most cancers surgical procedures, nevertheless it’s been a struggle, and I wished to have the ability to share the softer aspect, but additionally [show] you possibly can work actually onerous and do the issues that you just wish to do nonetheless.”
As for the second music, John’s 1982 No. 1 hit, Teddi initially didn’t suppose it was an choice to even sing considered one of her dad’s songs due to who owned the rights. When she realized his masters had been offered, nevertheless, his catalog was on the desk, and she or he was prepared to provide it a shot.
Teddi Mellencamp performs as Calla Lily on season 14 of ‘The Masked Singer.’ Michael Becker/ FOX
When Teddi spoke to Us, her dad hadn’t but seen her tackle “Jack & Diane” — he was planning to come back over and watch together with her so she might get “good and embarrassed” — however he beforehand expressed his approval for her “Struggle Track” efficiency.
“He thought the primary episode was nice,” she instructed Us. “I imply, he’s my dad, so it’s completely different. However he was like, ‘I believed you have been nice.’”
Tuning into The Masked Singer is seemingly at all times a household affair within the Mellencamp family, regardless of who’s below the costume. As Teddi mentioned in Calla Lily’s first clue package deal, she wished to do the present for her children, who love the present. (She shares Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5, with ex Edwin Arroyave.)
Teddi Mellencamp will at all times admire her dad, John Mellencamp, regardless of their well-documented ups and downs. John welcomed daughters Teddi and Justice with ex-wife Victoria Granucci in 1981 and 1985, respectively. The singer additionally shares daughter Michelle with ex Priscilla Esterline, and sons Hud and Speck with ex-wife Elaine Irwin. In Might 2024, Teddi shared that […]
“My children have seen me in a scenario the place I used to be recovering from mind surgical procedure, and I wished them to know that there’s life after that,” she defined. “And when you’re feeling higher, you possibly can push your self and you may attempt new issues. So, that was a part of the rationale that I wished to do The Masked Singer, however the different half was as a result of it’s my children’ favourite present.”
The children didn’t know upfront that their mother was on the present, however she mentioned they figured it out as quickly as they heard her voice as a result of she at all times sings within the automotive.
“I used to be like, ‘How are you aware?’ As a result of I wished to attend [to tell them],” she recalled. “And so they have been like, ‘Don’t even attempt to idiot us. We all know.’”
They have been then “so anxious” that their mother would go residence first, however that didn’t occur: She notched two performances earlier than Calla Lily’s run got here to an finish regardless of being so nervous that she discovered herself shaking on stage.
“I simply was like, ‘You’ve received to do that. There’s no selection,’” Teddi recalled telling herself. “You’ve simply received to struggle by way of the nerves and bear in mind the phrases and sing loud.”
Teddi has been combating onerous for the previous 12 months, sharing uncooked insights about her well being journey on her “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast, which she cohosts with The Actual Housewives of Orange County’s Tamra Decide. Listeners might come anticipating actuality TV gossip, however Teddi hasn’t shied away from discussing the intense subject of her remedy, partially as a result of she thinks it might be “unimaginable” for followers to not discover one thing was occurring.
“You possibly can hear the way in which that my voice has modified all through the time. You possibly can see my persona change. And I’m conscious of it,” Teddi defined. “When you might have mind surgical procedure, there’s so many issues affected, and I didn’t wish to really feel ashamed by it. So, I simply wished to speak about it and make different individuals not really feel alone. But additionally, if I speak about it, then I’m much less nervous about it, then I can simply go alongside being me. I’m not making an attempt to cover one thing like, ‘Hey, guys, I’m actually shaky at the moment,’ or, ‘You may discover my voice sounds humorous.’”
She added, “It’s one of many unintended effects of one of many therapies I’m going by way of, and simply type of letting individuals know that you just’re not alone. I believe so many individuals speak in regards to the bodily facet of getting most cancers, however the psychological facet has type of been forgotten. So, as a lot as I can speak about that, I do.”
Simply final month, Teddi opened up about beginning remedy to assist course of all that she’s been by way of between her most cancers battle and her divorce from Arroyave, 48.
“It’s actually onerous for me to faucet into my emotions, as a result of I believe I’ve put up a wall,” she shared with Us. “I used to be so petrified of what occurred that I didn’t wish to actually dig into it and get into these feelings, however now that I’ve, it’s just like the floodgates are open. It’s positively been serving to, as a result of I believe that once you undergo a trauma and also you’re simply making an attempt to white-knuckle it the entire time, it’s gonna come round. And when it got here round, I used to be utterly shocked.”
The Masked Singer, she mentioned, helped remind her that she will preserve going.
“You change into such a creature of behavior once you’re therapeutic,” she mentioned. “I’m residence. I do my podcast from the home. I’m not allowed to drive but, so my podcast room is 15 steps from the place my bed room is. It’s like every part is in a single space. With the ability to get on the market and do this was one thing that confirmed me I can do onerous issues.”
The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the following day on Hulu.
