Teddi Mellencamp Shares Papa John’s Reaction to Her Masked Singer Career

Teddy Mellencamp With one of the most iconic last names in music, it’s no surprise that she turned to her famous father, John Mellencampseek advice before accepting The Masked Singer.

“My dad said, ‘Just sing loud and proud, and if you don’t hit a note, you don’t hit a note, but as long as you give it your all, that’s all that matters,'” the former Bravo star, 44, exclusively told US Weekly She unveiled herself on the Fox singing competition on Wednesday, February 4. “So that’s what I’m doing.”

Teddy didn’t initially tell John, 74, that she was The Masked SingerBut when it came time to show off her pipe, she decided it was time to ask the Grammy winner for some advice.

“Once I sing a song, I talk to him about it. I need advice,” she said. “He said, ‘Don’t think of yourself as a singer. Just go out and sing the song the way you sing along. Have fun with it.'”

The advice seemed to work, as Teddy’s performance wowed the judges. Rachel Platon’s “Fight Song” and her father’s “Jack & Diane.” She explained that the former song had become her “anthem” as she battled stage 4 melanoma. (Scanned October 2025 It says “No cancer detected” But Teddy explained on her podcast last month that while she’s still undergoing immunotherapy, she’s still considered stage four. )

“I might even get emotional talking about it,” Teddy said of Platon’s inspiring song. “It’s been almost a year since I had all my cancer surgeries, but it’s been a struggle and I wanted to be able to share the softer side but also (show) that you can work really hard and do the things you still want to do.”

As for the second song, John’s 1982 No. 1 single, Teddy initially thought she wouldn’t even be given the option to sing her father’s song because of who owned the copyright. However, when she realized that his masterworks were for sale and his catalog was on the table, she was willing to give it a try.

when teddy talks usHer father had not yet seen her perform “Jack and Diane” that day – he was planning to come over and watch with her so she could be “nice and awkward” – but he had previously expressed his approval of her “Fight Song” performance.

“He thought the first episode was great,” she told us. “I mean, he’s my dad, so it’s different. But he said, ‘I think you’re great.'”

tune in The Masked Singer Apparently, this is always a family affair in the Mellencamp family, no matter who is in costume. As Teddy said in Kara Lilly’s first clue package, she wanted to do the show for kids who would love the show. (She shares Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5, with her ex-boyfriend) Edwin Arroyave.)

“My kids saw me recovering from brain surgery, and I want them to know there’s life after that,” she explained. “Once you feel better, you can motivate yourself and try new things. So, that’s part of the reason why I want to do The Masked Singerbut part of it is because it’s my kids’ favorite show. “

The kids didn’t know their mom was on the show beforehand, but she said they knew as soon as they heard her voice because she’s always singing in the car.

“I was like, ‘How do you know?’ because I wanted to wait (to tell them),” she recalled. “They said, ‘Don’t try to fool us. We know.'”

At the time they were “very worried” that their mum would come home first, but that didn’t happen: although she was extremely nervous and found herself shaking on stage, Cara Lilly managed to complete two performances before her run was over.

“I was like, ‘You have to do this. There’s no other choice,'” Teddy recalled. “You have to get over your nerves, remember the lyrics and sing loud.”

Teddy has been on a roll over the past year, sharing raw insights into her health journey on the “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast she co-hosts real housewives of orange countyof judge tamra. Listeners may expect reality TV gossip, but Teddy hasn’t shied away from discussing the serious topic of her treatment, in part because she thinks it’s “impossible” for fans not to notice what’s going on.

“You can hear my voice change over time. You can see my personality change. I know that,” Teddy explained. “When you have brain surgery, there’s a lot that goes into it, and I don’t want to be ashamed of it. So, I just want to talk about it so other people don’t feel alone. And, if I talk about it, I’m less nervous and then I can continue to be myself. I’m not trying to hide things like, ‘Hey guys, I’m really shaky today,’ or ‘You might notice that I sound funny.'”

She added, “That’s one of the side effects of treatment that I’m going through, just letting people know that you’re not alone. I think a lot of people talk about the physical side of cancer, but the mental side gets forgotten. So, while I can talk about that, I do.”

Just last month, Teddy went public About starting treatment to help process what she was going through. in her battle with cancer and her divorce from Arroyave, 48.

“I had a really hard time digging into my feelings because I felt like I had put up a wall,” she said with us. “I was so scared about what happened that I didn’t want to really delve into it and get into those emotions, but now that I know it, it’s like the floodgates have opened. It’s definitely been helpful because I think when you go through trauma and you keep trying to tense up about it, it’s going to show up. When it did, I was completely shocked.”

The Masked SingerShe said it helps remind her that she can keep moving forward.

“When you recover, you become habitual,” she said. “I’m home. I’m doing my podcast at home. I’m not allowed to drive yet, so my podcast room is 15 steps from my bedroom. It’s like everything is in one zone. Being able to get out there and do this shows that I can do hard things.”

The Masked Singer Fox airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes will be available on Hulu the following day.