Will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame is one of the judges of The Voice UK
The background
This weekend saw the semi-final of the BBC’s The Voice UK, and the show was unable to escape yet more bad buzz ahead of the final on 2 June.
Disappointing ratings – and some disappointing performances
The Metro said that this week’s show “got underway with a whimper,” with ratings of only 4.49 million, the lowest ratings for the show so far. This comes as the show’s ITV ratings rival, Britain’s Got Talent, ended two weeks ago, which should have spelled an increase in interest for The Voice UK. Isabel Mohan from The Telegraph said that she thought “the acts who made it to the semi-finals of The Voice were as uninspiring as ever,” with Tyler James “giving off very little warmth,” Becky Hill coming off as an “insufferable brat” and Leanne Mitchell seeming “likeable but charisma-free.”
Surprising results
The Metro said that contestant Tyler James had blown it with his performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, though Tyler was eventually voted through ahead of judges’ favorite Jaz Ellington. The paper said James’ performance “sent Twitter mad as viewers poured scorn on his performance, with some saying Queen front man Freddie Mercury would be ‘spinning in his grave’”. Former frontrunner, Ruth Brown, was also lost from mentor Tom Jones’ team. Click Music reported that for Danny O’Donoghue’s team, however, there were no shockers: “It was no surprise that Max Milner would be going home; Bo Bruce has been the favorite for weeks now and Max’s performance had not been well received on the night.”
Celebrities staying away
The Daily Star reported on two big issues to plague the show this week. They said that “The Voice was … rocked by fix claims as many acts were already linked to industry giant Universal. Fans were in uproar over reports that many contestants were well-known to the label, which is offering a record deal to the winner.” The paper claimed that one of the finalists, Tyler James, was signed to the company in 2004. They also commented on the fact that big-name singers have been reluctant to appear on the show. They reported that the BBC asked Justin Bieber , Adele, Flo Rida, Kelly Clarkson and David Guetta to perform duets with the finalists “but they all turned the offers down.”
