‘It feels natural to be back’

The latest series of ITV hit The Voice UK show promises fresh new talent, plenty of fun and a new callback lifeline, finds Gemma Dunn. From spinning red chairs to talented singers and superstar coaches, The Voice UK has long held the ingredients for success. But reintroduce its live audience, and you’ve got yourself another stand-out series.

Back with its 11th run, the ITV singing competition will swap out virtual crowds in favour of excitable studio spectators for the first time since 2019.

Much to the delight of the show’s returning superstar coaches, Olly Murs, Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am and AnneMarie.

“I enjoyed last year, but it was nowhere near as good as this year, just having a crowd back,” reasons Murs, 38, who joined the iconic panel back in 2018.

“There are only so many Zoom calls, virtual things you can do, so it’s just so lovely to have people in a room smiling and enjoying themselves. It just felt so normal. It felt fun again. It felt alive. And it just felt like the show had the missing piece back. This year we’re back with a bang!”

“There’s a spark there,” agrees showbiz veteran Sir Tom, 82.

“Well I’ve never experienced it, so it’s a first for me,” interjects 31-year-old Ciao Adios hitmaker, Anne-Marie, who not only made her show debut last year, but also won the series with performer Craig Eddie.

“It’s great to have a live audience. Although it is a little loud… so I’m trying to hear the singers and get through the cheers and shouting, but it’s so nice.”

As for the format, expect the usual life-changing blind auditions (complete with the return of the controversial ‘block’ button), the battle rounds, the knockouts and the live performances. All presided over by returnee presenter Emma Willis.

But wait, there’s also a new addition titled ‘the callbacks’, whereby hopeful contestants that made it through the blind auditions will battle it out to earn their place in the semi-fi“To nal. All with the aim in mind of being crowned this series’ winner and securing a recording contract with Universal’s label UMOD.

But with the coaches teasing the standard is better than ever before, what else can we expect?

Who better to scope out talent than Sir Tom, who having sat in the rotatable chairs since 2012 (aside from a small hiatus we needn’t mention), has become synonymous with the show? Not to mention his sixdecade long music career.

But just what is he looking for this time around?

“I like natural voices. I like to hear voices that you’re born with, that are not manufactured, so you can hear the person come through,” he offers. As opposed to having somebody learning things.

“It’s fine to learn, it’s fine to pick up things and use them to your advantage…” he elaborates, “But it’s always nice to hear a voice and say, ‘That person is a singer, that’s what they should do. Nothing else’.

try and find that is a bit difficult, but that’s what I like.”

“I’m looking for characters. I’m looking for fun. I’m looking for people at home to go, ‘Oh, my God, what was that? That was crazy’,” compares former X Factor star, Murs.

“I just want a bit of laughter and fun this year. I don’t want anything too depressing or too serious. Obviously, I want good singers and talent, too.”

“Well, I’m going to try and step out of my comfort zone a little bit,” Anne-Marie muses. “I feel like I was always looking for unique, current sounds, but I’m going to try and look for more rock – and hopefully a female rapper?

“I’m going to just try and reach out to every corner.”

“I’m looking for somebody that I can help expand; I’m not necessarily looking for perfectness this time,” adds will.i.am, 47, who, like Sir Tom, has been an integral part of the show for a decade.

“A lot of times, in the past, we’re looking for perfect singers, especially as you’re like, ‘I want the winner’. But (this time)

I’m looking for somebody I can help improve.”

It means the Black Eyed Peas star has changed his stance when it comes to victory – confessing “I’m not as competitive as I used to be”.

“I used to pitch really hard,” he maintains. “Now, for the people on my team, it’s do I give them perspective on how to sustain a career?”

“I’m very competitive,” Anne-Marie says candidly, determined to keep hold of the “victory crown” she is proudly wearing in this season’s trailer.

“I’m rubbing it in, and I don’t think they like it. Tom Jones doesn’t like that I say I’m going to win again – he’s like, ‘No you’re not’,” she recalls, laughing. “But I’m going to keep picking the best ones.”

She follows: “The hardest thing is when the audience are screaming for us to turn around for every single person that comes out. We only have 10 places, and it’s so stressful to think about that.”

Is Troublemaker singer Murs feeling the pressure to take back the reins?

“I would love to. It was amazing to win back-to-back,” he acknowledges, having won in 2019-2020.

“But you know, we said yesterday as a group, hats off to Anne-Marie last year. She came in, she found some great talent, she pitched well, and she deserved to win it – Craig was a worthy winner.

“Sometimes you just have to accept it,” he says with a smile. “But this year is great. I think it’s an even contest this year; everyone’s come back fresh, everyone’s ready to go and there’s some amazing talent again.”

With a decade under its belt, The Voice is no shrinking violet when it comes to the UK pool of brilliant talent shows – but what is it the coaches love about it?

“I love to do it. I love to listen to new things and offer any help that I can give – I’d do that anyway and I’ve always done that,” Sir Tom goes first.

“So this position is perfect for me because I have been around a long time and I’ve loved this business. I still love it.”

“I like the UK a lot,” states LA native, will.i.am.

“I like being in the midst of aspirational singers that want to make this their career. It grounds me being around folks that are just starting, that have dreams. It makes me appreciate what we’ve accomplished a lot more. And it makes me realise how important it is to do your best – you never know what encouragement is going to do for someone.”

“It feels natural to be back,” Anne-Marie says simply. “I enjoyed it so much and didn’t want the last one to end so waiting for this one felt like a long wait and I couldn’t wait to come back. It feels right, it feels like it’s meant to be.”

“I can’t believe it’s my fifth season,” concludes Murs. “On my phone it came up with it being five years ago in 2017, me on set for the first time doing all the promo. It’s just like wow.

“I can’t believe it’s been this long but still the same excitement, still the same feeling. I still love it, I love being here, it’s great.”