After the February 4 episode of the hit singing competition revealed that the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum was the face and voice behind the Calla Lily, the 44-year-old opened up about the emotional experience. Filming the show wasn’t just another gig; it was a personal milestone achieved while battling stage two melanoma that had ultimately metastasized to her brain and lungs.
“Doing the show meant a lot,” Teddi shared in an exclusive interview. “Because it showed me that I could do it and can do anything I put my mind to.”
A Reason to Smile
For Teddi, appearing on the show gave her a reason to leave the house during a difficult time. Furthermore, The Masked Singer is a favorite of her children—Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5—whom she shares with estranged husband Edwin Arroyave.
“I can get emotional just talking about it,” Teddi admitted. “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.”
She noted that the atmosphere on the Fox competition series was a far cry from the drama she experienced on Bravo. She joked that she comes from the side of reality television where everybody is “trying to get at each other.” In contrast, her time as the Calla Lily was filled with support. “Everybody on that show was so incredible… There’s just so much love on that show.”
![Image: Teddi Mellencamp smiling on stage holding her Calla Lily mask after the reveal on The Masked Singer.]
A Tribute to Her Father
The show also provided a unique opportunity for Teddi to pay homage to her musical roots. She performed the 1982 hit “Jack and Diane,” originally by her father, John Mellencamp.
The Grammy winner even joined Teddi to watch her performance. Although she doesn’t consider herself a professional singer, her father was impressed. He reportedly told 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?”
The Physical and Mental Toll
Watching the episode back was an emotional experience for the reality star. She noted that the physical toll of her treatment was visible on screen.
“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.”
Fortunately, Teddi is in a much better place physically today. Doctors have recently found no detectable traces of cancer. However, the mental toll of her journey is something she is only now beginning to process.
“Mentally, I’ve started to unpack all of that now,” she shared. “I think at first you’re just kind of white-knuckling it. 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.”
Despite the nerves and the shaking hands, Teddi has no regrets. “I’m not a singer by trade by any means, and I just went in and had fun.”
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