The Voice UK returned to ITV on Saturday night with the first round of blind auditions and viewers at home were not happy with one contestant who made it through.
The Voice UK made a dazzling comeback on ITV1 Saturday night, showcasing a fresh lineup of hopefuls eager to belt out tunes and clinch the title.
West End sensation Zalika Henry, known for her role in The Lion King, graced the stage with a stunning rendition of Daylight, leaving the coaches utterly impressed as all four spun their chairs for the gifted vocalist.
Choosing between the impressed coaches, Zalika ultimately joined forces with Sir Tom Jones, sharing a warm embrace with the music icon before exiting the stage. Yet, some viewers at home cried foul, branding the show a "fix" due to Zalika's professional background.
An irate viewer blasted on social media: "Aww this is all fixed #TheVoiceUK," accompanied by an angry emoji, reports the Express.
Echoing the sentiment, another chimed in: "What a fix! #TheVoiceUK."
A different viewer lamented the influx of semi-professional singers: "What happened to the average person going on the show to see if they were any good? Far too many singers already partly in the business. #TheVoiceUK."
And another added their two cents: "#TheVoiceUK i just wish professional singers werent able to join The Voice, takes away the rawness of someone trying to make it in the music game."
However, opinions varied as one delighted ITV fan exclaimed: "#TheVoiceUk I love zalika Henry the fact she is a west end singer makes me so happy I love her! And she is singing harry styles!"
Sir Tom Jones and Will. I. Am are the only two coaches who have been on The Voice UK since its inception in 2012.
They're joined by Danny Jones, a coach from The Voice Kids and his McFly bandmate Tom Fletcher, as well as American singer LeAnn Rimes, who has previously participated in the Australian version of the show.
The Voice UK continues next Saturday at 8:15pm on ITV1 and ITVX
The Boyband That's Been Around The Block
The Voice UK has been caught up in fix claims after one act's famous past was revealed.
The hit ITV singing competition returned on Saturday night for its 13th series.
Emma Willis is back at the helm while coaches Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am resume their positions.
In a shake-up, LeAnn Rimes joins the panel, along with British boyband royalty Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones from McFly in a double chair for the first time.
As the show got underway viewers were introduced to boyband Mic Lowry.
The Liverpool-based group is made up of Delleile Ankrah, Kaine Ofoeme, Ben Sharples and Michael Welch.
Performing 'Just a Friend 2002' by Mario, the singing hunks wowed the coaches, sparking a bidding between them all.
Mic Lowry have already opened for the Backstreet Boys back in 2019 in Manchester as well as being a support act for Justin Bieber.
Posting on social media, one viewer said: "I saw@WeAreMicLowry when they supported Justin Bieber, they’re brilliant."
A second wrote: "Erm, surely some of them judges have heard of #MicLowry seeing as they been around ages and been support acts elsewhere."
"Very polished aren’t they? Almost as if they’ve been coached already," said a third.
While a fourth commented: "Did I see these guys supporting McFly or Busted?"
The Coaches' Opinions
The Voice UK returned for its thirteenth series on Saturday evening, with McFly duo Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones joining LeAnn Rimes as the competition's newest coaches alongside veterans will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones.
Fletcher and Jones endured a karmic rude awakening during the very first Blind Audition though, with the Liverpudlian quartet Mic Lowry opting to enter Will's team instead of theirs.
This came after the former Strictly Come Dancing star - Fletcher appeared in the 2021 series, partnering with Amy Dowden - boasted that the lads would benefit most from his and Jones's band experience, either forgetting about or simply dismissing Will's time in the Black Eyed Peas.
"Alright look, we are the best qualified to be your coaches, we know exactly what it's like to live and breathe being in a band for 21 years," began Fletcher's hard sell, before claiming the inner-band relationships are the toughest component to keep on track.
"We have been through highs and lows and ups and downs and we have so much experience that we can offer you guys to get you through the rest of the competition."
Addressing Mic Lowry's members Delleile, Kaine, Ben and Michael straight afterwards, mega-producer Will alluded to his 29-year history with pop-rap chart-toppers Black Eyed Peas, who have reportedly sold 70 million more albums than McFly worldwide.
"Um... I've been in a group for a while as well," he said. "I've got a type of perspective I'd love to share with you guys, so I'd love for you to be on my team."
Low and behold, the auditionees then announced: "For us being a group, it would be good to have somebody that maybe knows the group dynamic... so we would like to choose Will."
A New Era of Coaches
The Voice UK made a spectacular comeback on ITV1 on Saturday, showcasing a new line-up of aspiring vocalists ready to belt it out and vie for the coveted winning spot.
Stealing the spotlight was West End sensation Zalika Henry, formerly of The Lion King cast, who performed "Daylight" and dazzled the judges, earning a four-chair turn.
Following a tough choice, Zalika joined Sir Tom Jones' team, sharing a warm embrace with the iconic singer before exiting the stage. But home audiences cried foul, branding the show a "fix" unhappy with a seasoned performer advancing.
One disgruntled viewer blasted: "Aww this is all fixed #TheVoiceUK," punctuated with an angry face emoji, reports the Express. Another chimed in: "What a fix! #TheVoiceUK."
Someone else lamented: "What happened to the average person going on the show to see if they were any good? Far too many singers already partly in the business. #TheVoiceUK."
And another added their take: "#TheVoiceUK i just wish professional singers werent able to join The Voice, takes away the rawness of someone trying to make it in the music game."
Nonetheless, Zalika has her fans, as an excited ITV viewer enthused: "#TheVoiceUk I love zalika Henry the fact she is a west end singer makes me so happy I love her! And she is singing harry styles!"
Sir Tom Jones and Will. I. Am, who have been part of the show since its inception in 2012, are joined by The Voice Kids coach Danny Jones and his McFly bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Additionally, US singer LeAnn Rimes, previously a participant in the Australian version, is also on board.
The Voice UK continues next Saturday at 8:15pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
The Jury Is Still Out
The show has been a staple on British television for over a decade and has launched the careers of many singers, including the likes of Leanne Mitchell, and Jermain Jackman. The new series is certainly off to a dramatic start, and it will be interesting to see how the show unfolds in the coming weeks.
Will viewers continue to be vocal about their dissatisfaction with the show, or will they eventually come around to the new format? Only time will tell.
