It was inevitable wasn’t it. Once The Voice moved channels, we always knew there’d be some changes. And it looks like now it’s found its home at ITV, producers have ramped up the action to make it as brutal as its rival, The X Factor.
It has been revealed that unlike previous series, singers who gets no turns, will no longer get the nice encouraging advice from the judges they used to.
Instead, the mentors – who this year include Will.I.Am, Sir Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale – will remain turned and the heartbroken wannabes will have to trundle off stage without being spoken to and their hearts shattered into a million pieces. Awwww.
Host Emma Willis has revealed: “If you don’t push your button for a contestant, you don’t get to see them. So only the people who press the button get to see who it is, so if no one turns, no one sees who sung.”
That said, even though coaches will no longer speak to snubbed singers, they will be able to chinwag amongst themselves about why they didn’t turn. And Emma thinks this could mean the mentors could get a lot bitchier. Miaow!
“When they see someone and they feel bad that they haven’t turned then it’s all very apologetic,” she says. “But when [the coaches] haven’t seen that person then they don’t have to interact with them directly – it becomes a little more ‘oh, I thought they were a little off-key’ – they might not have said that having seen them.”
However, long term coach, Will.I.Am isn’t such a big fan of the change.
“It’s going to be easier for us, but the idea is harsh for the singer,” he said. “No explanation, no like ‘hey, here’s what you could have done better’. They just go in cold. No one cares, no one turns and they don’t even get a nugget of info. That kind of sucks.”
Meanwhile, newcomer Gavin Rossdale is also wary about the new rule. “It’s cold. It’s so cold! TV shows are all about moments of drama – things being cold and mean and really good viewing. But it’s rubbish if it’s you… I feel bad for them.”
He added: “It’s a really slow walk [on stage]. Their heart is going to be in their mouth. They’ve got to try and get the song right and remember it. And to do all that – friends and family watching – and the chairs don’t turn round… it’s a crusher.”
Producers are hoping this show twist will inject a bit more jeopardy into the ‘nicey-nicey’ format, and create more on screen tension for viewers. Though this is still far less evil than the X Factor’s controversial six chair challenge which has divided viewers with its cruel procedure.