The Voice Kelly’s crisis
The singer suffers a confidence crisis as she makes her debut on the show
It can’t be easy sitting next to the nation’s favourite sweetheart day in, day out. And Kelly Rowland, who admits she suffers from crippling insecurities when it comes to her looks, says she can’t help but compare herself to veteran coach and Aussie pop princess Delta Goodrem on The Voice.
Kelly – who together with husband Tim Witherspoon welcomed son Titan Jewell, now two, in 2014 – admits she sometimes even struggles to look at herself in the mirror.
“I saw a cover I did for Shape [magazine, pre-pregnancy] and I’m looking in the mirror going, ‘Oh, my God, this is not the same body. How did this happen?’” says the former Destiny’s Child singer.
In her parenting book Whoa, Baby! Kelly reveals she’s so “horrified” by her post-baby body she plans to go under the knife for a second time.
“My boobs were so long and stretchy I sometimes felt like I could’ve swung them over my shoulders,” she says. “Even with the silicon action, it was like some of the air had been sucked out and they just sort of hung there like flapjacks. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’m going to see someone (wink, wink) after I have my second kid.”
Though Kelly, 36, adds she’s sometimes too hard on herself, cruel comments from online trolls have only contributed to her angst.
In April, she uploaded a swimsuit shot to Instagram and referenced rapper Kendrick Lamar’s song Humble, which includes the telling lyrics, “Show me somethin’ natural like ass with some stretch marks”.
While the majority of Kelly’s fans praised her for her brave move, others weren’t so kind, one user describing her bum as “kinda old n saggy”.
As for her time on The Voice, Kelly will just have to get used to sharing the spotlight with Delta. Fellow coach Seal has made no secret of his love for the former Neighbours actress, describing
‘I’m looking in the mirror going, how did this happen?’
her as a “national treasure”. “She’s very beautiful, but she’s also quite vulnerable. Delta is quite strong, has a strong voice and a strong personality but an air of vulnerability and that’s why people warm to her,” he has said.
The audience are just as head over heels for the pop princess as Seal. During recordings for the Nine show, on-set sources say it was clear who the fan favourite was – despite Kelly being a former member of one of the world’s most successful girl groups. “The audience try to get Delta’s attention at every opportunity, holding up banners and asking for selfies. But not many people approach Kelly,” says an insider.
Delta has been doing all she can to support Kelly. Ahead of the show’s debut, she uploaded a photo of the pair to social media and described her as a “beautiful woman”. Aww… that’s what friends are for!