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''The Voice UK'' is a British singing competition television series. Created by John de Mol, it premiered on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
during the spring television cycle on 24 March 2012. Based on the original ''
The Voice of Holland ''The Voice of Holland'', also known as ''TVOH'', is a Dutch reality TV singing competition, that became a near global TV format franchise, created by media tycoon John de Mol and musician Roel van Velzen, in the Netherlands airing on RTL 4. ...
'', and part of ''The Voice '' franchise, it has aired eleven series and aims to find currently unsigned singing talent (solo, duets, trios or professional and amateur) contested by aspiring singers, drawn from public auditions. The winners receive a recording contract with
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. Winners of the eleven series have been:
Leanne Mitchell Leanne Mitchell (born 14 December 1983) is an English singer and songwriter, best known for winning the first series of ''The Voice UK'' on 2 June 2012. Mitchell released her debut solo single " Run to You" on 3 June 2012. Her debut self-ti ...
,
Andrea Begley Andrea Begley is a singer-songwriter from Pomeroy, Northern Ireland, who is most notable for winning the second series of the BBC talent search ''The Voice UK'', beating the favourite to win, Leah McFall. She is the niece of Irish country music ...
, Jermain Jackman,
Stevie McCrorie Stevie McCrorie (born 23 March 1985) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He is best known as a firefighter who won the fourth series of the BBC television singing competition ''The Voice UK'' in 2015, where he auditioned with Kodaline's " All I Wan ...
,
Kevin Simm Kevin Ian Simm (born 5 September 1980) is an English pop singer. He won ''The Voice UK'' on 9 April 2016. Simm was in the group Liberty X from 2001 until their split in 2007, and is currently the lead singer of the group Wet Wet Wet. Early lif ...
,
Mo Adeniran Mo Jamil Adeniran (born 25 September 1995) is an English singer. He rose to fame after winning the sixth series of ''The Voice UK'', where he won a recording contract with Polydor Records. His debut album, titled ''Evolve'', charted at number 3 ...
, Ruti Olajugbagbe, Molly Hocking, Blessing Chitapa, Craig Eddie and
Anthonia Edwards Anthonia Edwards is an English singer and nurse from Blackheath. She won the eleventh series of ''The Voice UK''. Career In 2022, Anthonia auditioned for the eleventh series of ''The Voice UK'', and joined Tom Jones' team. After covering Justin ...
. The series employs a panel of four coaches who critique the artists' performances and guide their teams of selected artists through the remainder of the series. They also compete to ensure that their act wins the competition, thus making them the winning coach. The original panel featured
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...
,
Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
,
Sir Tom Jones Sir Thomas Jones Woodward (born 7 June 1940), known professionally as Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. His career began with a string of top-ten hits in the mid-1960s. He has toured regularly, with appearances in Las Vegas (1967–2011). Jones's ...
and
Danny O'Donoghue Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue (born 3 October 1980) is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irish rock band The Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent show ''The Voice ...
; the panel for the most recent eleventh series featured will.i.am, Jones,
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
and Anne-Marie. Other judges from previous series include
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
, Ricky Wilson,
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...
,
Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...
,
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...
,
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
,
Gavin Rossdale Gavin McGregor Rossdale (born 30 October 1965) is an English guitarist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer ...
and
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
. In November 2015, the BBC announced that the fifth series of ''The Voice UK'' would be their last. That same month,
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
announced they had acquired the rights to air ''The Voice UK'' for three additional series, as well as plans for a ''Kids'' edition, which began airing in 2017. The show returned in September 2022 with all four coaches from the previous series returning.


History

''The Voice'' first came to the public eye when the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
revealed that it was exploring the possibility of acquiring the rights. However,
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
was also interested as it was concerned that ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' could lose ratings after
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
,
Cheryl Cheryl is a female given name common in English speaking countries. There are several prevailing theories about its etymology. The most common is that it has Italo-Celtic roots and is an Anglicised version of either the French name Cherie (from ...
and
Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on th ...
left the panel. ITV were said to be afraid that the show with would "upstage" theirs. On 18 June 2011, it was reported that the BBC had won the rights to ''The Voice UK''. In mid-2011 it was revealed that BBC would be broadcasting ''The Voice'' after paying £22 million. Danny Cohen, the controller of BBC One, said he wants the programme to emulate the success of ''
The Apprentice ''The Apprentice'' is a reality talent game show franchise originally aired in 2004 in the United States. Created by U.S.-based British producer Mark Burnett, the show depicts contestants from around the country with various professional backg ...
'' and defended his decision to invest in it. Cohen said, "I thought it was really good. Every so often the BBC occasionally buys something from abroad that is peerlessly good, like ''The Apprentice''. We adapted that for Britain with
Alan Sugar Alan Michael Sugar, Baron Sugar (born 24 March 1947) is a British business magnate, media personality, author, politician and political adviser. In 1968, he started what would later become his largest business venture, consumer electronics com ...
and made the British version the best in the world. We hope ''The Voice'' will do similarly. We shouldn't shut the door on anything." It was later revealed that ''The Voice'' would not be going head-to-head with ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'' as '' Strictly Come Dancing'' is broadcast at the end of the year.
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
had entered the bidding war with the BBC and ITV, but later pulled out after the channel's director called the show "derivative" and "a rip-off".Channel 4 calls ''The Voice'' a ripoff and pulls out of the bidding war
''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
''. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 8 April 2012. It was said that the BBC was keen to sign up a new singing-talent show after it dropped ''
Fame Academy ''Fame Academy'' was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise ''Star Academy'' known under va ...
'' in 2004 and had not revisited the genre. It was also eager to schedule a replacement for ''
So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and ha ...
'', which was dropped in 2011. Presenter
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsi ...
also stated that ''The Voice UK'' is a "feel good show" saying, "The difference ith ''The Voice''is it's a blind audition, the coaches can't see the contestants when they come on stage so they judge them purely on their voice and their voice alone. It's really feel-good and the coaches are incredible." Devised by John de Mol, the creator of '' Big Brother'', ''The Voice'' is based on the Dutch TV programme ''
The Voice of Holland ''The Voice of Holland'', also known as ''TVOH'', is a Dutch reality TV singing competition, that became a near global TV format franchise, created by media tycoon John de Mol and musician Roel van Velzen, in the Netherlands airing on RTL 4. ...
'' and is part of ''The Voice'' franchise, being based on the similar American format. According to Anita Singh from ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'', the BBC have spent £22 million on buying the rights to the show, which will last two years. Of the amount of money spent on it, a BBC spokesperson said, "There is an awful lot of pressure, given the money spent on the format, for the ratings to be good. But at the moment all signs are that it will be cash well spent." Singh stated however, that this contradicted a "pledge" made by Mark Thompson, the director-general. He said, "The BBC needs to make a further significant shift towards distinctiveness, spending more of the licence fee on output which, without the BBC, wouldn't get made at all." The ITV reportedly "offered more for the format but were turned down". After comparisons to the ''X Factor'' were made, Cohen defended the decision to gain the rights to the show saying, "We feel that there's enough difference in this format that it will stand out. The fact that ITV tried very hard to get it—even though they've got The X Factor—suggests that they feel this show is different enough rom that one" In October 2011, it was announced that Moira Ross executive producer of '' Strictly Come Dancing'' quit the show to join production company Wall to Wall, so that she could take the position of executive producer of ''The Voice UK''. The BBC were planning to make each performance on the show available for download each week, with the proceeds going to charity or the downloads being free, before it is then released commercially. The winner will receive £100,000, as well as a record deal with
Universal Republic Republic Records is a New York City–based American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). It was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially an ...
. On 24 May 2013, it was reported that BBC One was close to recommissioning the show for a third series in 2014. The next day, it was confirmed that it will return for a third series. In July 2013,
Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
and
Danny O'Donoghue Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue (born 3 October 1980) is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irish rock band The Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent show ''The Voice ...
confirmed they would not be able to return as coaches for series 3 due to their music careers and touring. In September,
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsi ...
and
Reggie Yates Reginald (Reggie) Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has worked at the BBC in ra ...
announced they would not be returning as co-presenters for series 3. It was confirmed the same month that
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
and Ricky Wilson would replace Jessie J and O'Donoghue. It was announced that
Emma Willis Emma Louise Willis (née Griffiths; born 18 March 1976) is an English broadcaster. She is known for her television and radio work with Channel 5, BBC, ITV, and Heart FM.
and
Marvin Humes Marvin Richard James Humes (born 18 March 1985) is an English singer, disc jockey, television presenter and radio host who used to present the Monday–Thursday late night show across the Capital Network. He previously hosted ''The Official Bi ...
would replace Willoughby and Yates as co-presenters for the third series. On 29 March 2014, the BBC confirmed the series would be returning for another two series. In April, Minogue confirmed that she would not return for the fourth series, due to clashes with her
Kiss Me Once Tour The Kiss Me Once Tour was the fourteenth concert tour by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was launched in support of her twelfth studio album, '' Kiss Me Once'' (2014) and visited Europe, Australia and Middle East. Rumours of plans to tour ...
. On 22 September, it was confirmed that
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...
would replace Minogue. In June 2015, it was announced Ora would be joining the twelfth series of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
''. In August 2015, it was announced that
Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...
would replace Ora, with
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...
replacing original coach Jones, who was let go and would not be involved in the fifth series' production. On 7 November 2015, it was announced that the fifth series of ''The Voice UK'' would be the last to air on BBC. On 23 November 2015,
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
announced they had acquired the rights to air ''The Voice UK'' for three additional series, set to begin airing in 2017. They also announced their plans to produce two additional series, ''
The Voice Kids ''The Voice Kids'' is a version of ''The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchise wi ...
'' and an untitled
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
spin-off, both also set to air in 2017. The last episode aired on the BBC on 9 April 2016. The ITV2 spin-off show was axed on 8 August 2016, but it could return in the future. On 10 December 2020, ITV announced the tenth series of ''The Voice UK'' would premiere on 2 January 2021. In November 2021, only the new series of ''The Voice Kids'' was included by ITV as part of its ''Highlights'' brochure (for Christmas 2021), with the 2022 series of ''The Voice UK'' losing its Saturday night slot in January, to the Olly Murs hosted ''Starstruck'' format with Sheridan Smith, Adam Lambert, Jason Manford and Beverley Knight.


Scheduling

After speculation in February, the show's air date was confirmed on 10 March 2012. Of this announcement, the show's
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account said, "Two weeks from now, something new will be on your television, something so great you'll want to run up and kiss the screen. Just FYI." ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...
'' judge
Alesha Dixon Alesha Anjanette Dixon (born 7 October 1978) is an English singer, rapper, dancer, television personality, and author. She gained recognition in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B, garage and hip hop group Mis-Teeq. The group disbanded i ...
confirmed the launch date for the ''Britain's Got Talent'', with it being the same day as ''The Voice UKs. ''Britain's Got Talent'' was brought forward by ITV, so it could clash with the show. For the past four years however, ''Britain's Got Talent'' had launched in mid-April. The BBC and ITV were reportedly in a "scheduling war". BBC moved the show from its supposed 7:15 slot to 7:00, to avoid "significant overlap". ITV then responded by moving ''Britain's Got Talent'' from its original slot at 7:45 to 7:30. A BBC source said, "It is disappointing they chose to launch ''Britain's Got Talent'' on the same day as us. To not even meet us halfway on avoiding any sort of overlap is incredibly competitive." As ''The Voice'' progressed, it became clear that audiences were staying loyal during the period when it clashed with ''Britain's Got Talent''. After the third Blind Auditions round, when the BBC programme enjoyed a viewership margin of some four million,
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
and ITV executives moved their show to a later start time. In an exclusive interview with ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'', Cowell stated that the show is "competition" for ''Britain's Got Talent''. He said, "I recognise he Voiceas a challenge. The BBC must be confident because they have put it up against this show. They want to make a competition out of it. So we've got to make ritain's Got Talentbetter. Everyone benefits because of that." However, presenter Reggie Yates denied this: "I don't know if this is about toppling anyone. This is a very different animal altogether. I think when you see what this show is all about, you'll see exactly where we are coming from." In 2013, the shows clashed again, this time with BGT starting in its usual mid-April Slot. Both shows went directly head to head with The Voice from 6.45-8.15 and BGT from 7-8.35. With BGT winning the war, The Voice moved to a later slot and for the rest of the run, only clashed with BGT for 10-15 minutes each week. In 2016, the shows clashed again. ''The Voice''s BBC finale was moved back a week due to a Six Nations game which meant it clashed with the BGT launch. ''The Voice'' aired from 7-9 with BGT from 7-8.25. Whilst original schedules had ''The Voice'' from 6-8 and BGT from 8-9.20, the shows both changed to a 7.00 start time.


Promotion

The first promotional item the BBC released was a video on the official website. It read, "Four of the biggest names in music are looking for incredible singing talent to compete for the title of The Voice UK. Only the most unique and distinctive voices will make it to the filmed auditions and get to sing for our celebrity coaches". To promote the show, all four coaches went to Central London launch event, which took place at
Soho Hotel The Soho Hotel is a luxury 5-star hotel in London, England. Located at 4 Richmond Mews in Soho, the hotel has 96 bedrooms and suites, each one individually designed by Firmdale Hotels’ co-owner and Creative Director, Kit Kemp Judith Kit Kemp ...
on 24 February 2012. ''Daily Mirror'' Jo Usmar commented on the promotion of the show, stating that the trailer will "get you juices flowing". A further trailer was released on 9 March, featuring footage from the show, "including interviews with the panel, a first look at some contestants and bickering between the coaches".


Social media

According to ''Digital Spy'', the BBC was trying to "boost audience participation with a wealth of social media and online activity, as viewers often watch programmes while also commenting and engaging via Twitter and Facebook on a smartphone, laptop or tablet". Telegraph Hill, having previously worked on
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, curre ...
dramas '' Being Human'' and ''
The Fades The Fades are an English indie rock band from London, England, comprising Dave Lightfoot on guitar and vocals, James Lightfoot on bass, Jonathan "Jonny" Barnard on guitar and Alastair "Flash" Thorpe on drums. History The Fades were formed 2 ...
'', put in place a full-time team of "social media creatives" who will generate online videos around the show, and on the show's
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
and
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
pages.


Auditions and filming

The producer auditions of series one began on 31 October 2011. Five events took place in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, two events in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
,
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
and
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, and one event in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
. Solo artists and duos can participate, however, they must be aged sixteen or over. The coaches did not attend the producer's auditions. The blind auditions for the first series were held at
BBC Television Centre Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for TV production, opera ...
and has since been held at dock10 studios in
Salford Quays Salford Quays is an area of Salford, Greater Manchester, England, near the end of the Manchester Ship Canal. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it became one of the first and largest urban regeneration projects in the United Kingdom fol ...
. O'Donoghue told ''Digital Spy'' of the talent at the auditions, "The talent on show after the first auditions on the first day beat out any talent in any finals I've ever seen on television. The hair on the back of my neck and arms was standing up. 16 and 17-year-olds were up there killing it".


Format

''The Voice'' is a reality television series that features four coaches looking for a talented new artist, who could become a global superstar. The show's concept is indicated by its title: the coaches do not judge the artists by their looks, personalities, stage presence or dance routines—only their vocal ability. It is this aspect that differentiates ''The Voice'' from other reality television series such as ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'', ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...
'' or even ''
Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...
''. The competitors are split into four teams, which are mentored by the coaches who in turn choose songs for their artists to perform. There is no specific age range and anyone can audition; if a coach likes what they hear, a button-press allows their chair to spin around and face the performer, signifying that they would like to mentor them. If more than one does so, then the artist selects a coach. However, if no coach turns around then the artist is sent home. ''The Voice'' has been referred to as a "big, exciting and warm-hearted series"and a "new generation in its genre". The discomfort caused by the poor design of the chair, which weighs 19-stone, has drawn criticism from will.i.am, who claims that it makes him hunch his shoulders. There are five different stages: producers' auditions, Blind auditions, Battle phase, Knockout stage and live shows.


Producers' auditions and blind auditions

''The Voice UK''s first stage is the producers' auditions, which are not shown on television. The first shown stage is the blind auditions, where they sing in front of the coaches. The coaches have their backs to the singer, and if they like what they hear, they can press their button to turn around and recruit them to their team. If more than one coach turns, the power shifts to the singer, who then decides which team they would like to be part of. Each coach must recruit a number of singers (10 in series 1, 12 since series 2 onwards) to their team in the blind auditions to progress on to the battle phase. Since 2017, artists that are not selected by any of the coaches leave the stage after their song and do not talk with the coaches. Equally, the chairs do not turn and hence the coaches do not see any of the artists that are not picked. Starting also in season 10, "Block" buttons were added, which preventing one coach to recruit artist on its team. Each coach given only one block in the entire auditions.


Battle phase

The second stage, 'Battle phase', is where two artists are mentored and then developed by their respective coach. The coaches of the team will "dedicate themselves to developing their artists, giving them advice, and sharing the secrets of their success in the music industry". Members of teams perform duets and the coach chooses who advances to the next stage. In Series 2 (2013), the BBC introduced a new 'steal' twist to the Battle phase. The 'steal' gives a chance to the losers of the head-to-head battles to give one last pitch to the coaches, excluding their own coach, on why they should remain in the process. The coaches then have an amount of time to push their button on their spinning chairs if they want the contestant on their team. As with the blind auditions, if more than one coach presses their button, the contestant chooses which coach to join. In Series 4 (2015), a second steal was added, thus increasing the progressing team to eight members. In Series 6 (2017), each coach only had one steal each. For series 11 (2022), the battle round has been axed.


Knockout stage

The third stage of the competition is the 'Knockout stage'. It was first introduced in the second series (2013). The four coaches will enter this stage with seven team members each; six winners of the battle phase, and one stolen member. Artists perform a 'killer song' of their choosing and the coaches each pick three members of their team to go through to the live shows, creating a final 12 for the public vote. For series 7 in 2018, this was changed. Only 6 members in each team participated in the knockouts, and only two from each team advanced. Also, series 8 had a new twist, one eliminated contestant could be bought back to compete in the live shows, through the 'lifeline vote'. This meant that 9 acts would take part in the live shows. From series 10 (2021), the knockout round has been axed.


Callbacks

The second stage of the competition is the 'Callbacks'. It was first introduced in the eleventh series (2022). The four coaches are all assisted by guest mentors to help make their decisions. They all have their ten acts from the 'Blind Auditions'. From here, the artists are put into a group of three or four where they will all take individual turns to perform the same song - given to them by their coach. Their coach then picks one artist per group to advance to the semi final, leaving each coach with 3 semi-finalists. In total, 12 artists advance to the semi final, eliminating 28 acts during the process.


Live shows

In the 'Live shows' artists perform in front of the coaches and audience, broadcast live. In the first series (2012), each coach had five artists in their team to begin with and the artists went head-to-head to win public votes. The votes determined which artists advanced to the final eight. The final eight artists competed in a live broadcast. However, the coaches had a 50/50 say with the audience and the public in deciding which artists moved on to the 'final four' phase. In the first three series, each coach had one member who continued. However, from the fourth series in 2015, the semi-final format changes; only public votes decide which artists move on to the final, regardless of their team. Therefore, a coach may have two of his/her artists in the final. The final (the winner round) was decided upon by the public vote. Throughout the final the coaches frequently performed with their artists. The winner was crowned ''The Voice''. From the second series (2013), after the introduction of the 'steal' in the battle phase and the new 'knockout stage', each coach will have three artists on their team a total of 12 artists in the live shows to fight for the public vote and to be crowned 'The Voice', subsequently receiving a record deal with
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
. From the tenth series (2021) This has changed 3 contestants from each team perform fortnightly and only 2 of them from each team will be facing the public vote and one of their coaches will reveal the contestant with the most public votes to go to the live final. From series 11 (2022) each coach has 3 acts in the semi final. Each coach must select one from their team to advance to the final, eliminating the other 2. In the final, the studio audience votes for the winner, which will receive the record deal with
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
.


Series overview

To date, eleven series have been broadcast, as shown below.


Spin-offs


''Louder on Two''

Starting on 24 March 2014, a new spin-off series aired on
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
during the live shows every weekday night. The series is hosted by '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' presenter
Zoë Ball Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British radio and television presenter. She was the first female host of both ''Radio 1 Breakfast'' and '' The Radio 2 Breakfast Show'' for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show ''Live & ...
, and features interviews with the coaches and contestants as well as providing live acoustic performances by the artists. The show did not return in 2015, for the fourth series of the main show.


''The V Room''

An online spin-off show titled ''The V Room'' was announced in October 2016, with
Cel Spellman Ceallach Spellman ( ; born 31 August 1995) is an English actor and presenter best known for playing Matthew Williams in the revival of ITV (TV network), ITV drama ''Cold Feet'', Harry Fisher in the BBC One school-based drama ''Waterloo Road (TV ...
presenting. The show is available on-demand via the BBC iPlayer and features exclusive content across social media sites and the show's mobile app. The show started after the live shows in March 2017. Spellman did not return for series 7 in 2018, and was replaced by previous runner–up Jamie Miller, The show is available on-demand via the
ITV Hub ITVX (formerly ITV Hub) is a British online video-on-demand service operated by ITV plc, ITV. The service offers predominantly features content from ITV1, as well as ITV Digital Channels, ITV Digital channels and some licensed content. The serv ...
and features exclusive content across social media sites and the show's mobile app. The show started after the live shows in March 2018. On 12 March 2018, Vick Hope took over for Jamie Miller as the show's new digital reporter.


Presenters and coaches


Presenters

''The Voice UK'' was presented by
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsi ...
and
Reggie Yates Reginald (Reggie) Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has worked at the BBC in ra ...
during the first two series. In 2014, both stepped down from their roles and were replaced by ''
Big Brother UK ''Big Brother'' is the British version of the international reality television franchise '' Big Brother'' created by producer John de Mol in 1997. Broadcast yearly from 2000 to 2018, and due to return in 2023, the show follows the format of ot ...
'' presenter
Emma Willis Emma Louise Willis (née Griffiths; born 18 March 1976) is an English broadcaster. She is known for her television and radio work with Channel 5, BBC, ITV, and Heart FM.
and
JLS JLS (an initialism of Jack the Lad Swing) are an English boyband, which consists of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Marvin Humes, and JB Gill, originally formed by Williams. They initially signed to Tracklacers production company ...
band member
Marvin Humes Marvin Richard James Humes (born 18 March 1985) is an English singer, disc jockey, television presenter and radio host who used to present the Monday–Thursday late night show across the Capital Network. He previously hosted ''The Official Bi ...
. Willoughby (series 1 and 2) and Willis (series 3 onwards) are the main presenters for the live shows, whilst Yates (series 1 and 2) and Humes (series 3 to 6) interview the contestants after their performances and are also social media correspondents. In June 2016, ITV confirmed that Willis would return to host the series, but would not be joined by Humes. File:Emma_Willis_in_2014.jpg,
Emma Willis Emma Louise Willis (née Griffiths; born 18 March 1976) is an English broadcaster. She is known for her television and radio work with Channel 5, BBC, ITV, and Heart FM.
(2014–present) File:Holly_Willoughby_(cropped).jpg,
Holly Willoughby Holly Marie Willoughby ( ; born 10 February 1981) is an English television presenter, author and model. She is currently the co-presenter of ITV's '' This Morning'' (2009–present) and '' Dancing on Ice'' (2006–2011, 2018–present) alongsi ...
(2012–2013) File:Reggie_Yates_2.jpg,
Reggie Yates Reginald (Reggie) Yates (born 31 May 1983) is a British writer and director with a career spanning three decades on screen as an actor, television presenter and radio DJ. Yates played Leo Jones in ''Doctor Who'' and has worked at the BBC in ra ...
(2012–2013)


Timeline of presenters


Key

: Main presenter : Backstage presenter : Contestant


Coaches

The coaching line-up was announced on 8 December 2011. Presenter Holly Willoughby described them as "badass" and "incredible". All four coaches confirmed they would return as coaches for a second series.
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
and Ricky Wilson joined will.i.am and Jones as coaches for the third series following the departures of Jessie J and O'Donoghue. Later on,
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...
replaced Minogue for the fourth series. After only one series, Ora left the show, due to touring commitments and joined rival show, ''
The X Factor UK ''The X Factor'' is a British reality television music competition, created by Simon Cowell. Premiering on 4 September 2004, it was produced by Fremantle's Thames and Cowell's production company Syco Entertainment for ITV, as well as simulc ...
''. On 14 August, it was announced that
Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...
and
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...
would join Wilson and Will.i.am for the fifth series, meaning that Jones would not return. Jones' axe had a widespread negative response from viewers and by himself, with Jones claiming that he had no idea he had been axed. On 13 November 2015, Wilson announced that the fifth series would be his last as a coach. However, on 24 March 2016, it was announced that he could make a return to the show. The following month, Faith stated that she had left the show due to her pregnancy, after just one series on the show. In July 2016, it was confirmed that Boy George had decided not to return for the sixth series on ITV. will.i.am later revealed that he would return as a coach for the 2017 series, but Wilson later announced that he would not. In September 2016, the coaches for the 2017 series was confirmed as will.i.am,
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
,
Sir Tom Jones Sir Thomas Jones Woodward (born 7 June 1940), known professionally as Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. His career began with a string of top-ten hits in the mid-1960s. He has toured regularly, with appearances in Las Vegas (1967–2011). Jones's ...
and
Gavin Rossdale Gavin McGregor Rossdale (born 30 October 1965) is an English guitarist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer ...
. On 6 March 2017, ITV confirmed that will.i.am. would return to the series in 2018. The network also expressed that "all parties" were interested in Jones' return, as well. In October 2017, it was announced that Jones and Hudson would return, alongside singer
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...
joining the coaching panel, replacing Rossdale. On 21 September 2018, the '' Daily Express'' announced that will.i.am, Jones, Hudson and Murs would all return to the show as coaches for the eighth series. In September 2019, it was announced that
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
would replace a departing Hudson, who cited work commitments in the United States as the reason for her departure; Jones, Murs and will.i.am were announced to be returning alongside Trainor. On 8 October 2020, Trainor announced that she would not be returning for the tenth series, after announcing her pregnancy. British singer Anne-Marie would replace Trainor in 2021.


Timeline of coaches

File:Will.i.am_in_2018.jpg,
Will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

(2012–present) File:Jessie J 2, 2012.jpg,
Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...

(2012–2013) File:Sir_Tom_Jones_at_The_Queen%27s_Birthday_Party_(cropped-2).jpg,
Sir Tom Jones Sir Thomas Jones Woodward (born 7 June 1940), known professionally as Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. His career began with a string of top-ten hits in the mid-1960s. He has toured regularly, with appearances in Las Vegas (1967–2011). Jones's ...

(2012–2015, 2017–present) File:Danny The Script en Barcelona.jpg,
Danny O'Donoghue Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue (born 3 October 1980) is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irish rock band The Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent show ''The Voice ...

(2012–2013) File:Kylie Minogue at The Queen's Birthday Party (cropped 2).jpg,
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

(2014) File:Kaiser Chiefs-Rock im Park 2014 by 2eight 3SC9237.jpg, Ricky Wilson
(2014–2016) File:Rita Ora 2012.jpg,
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...

(2015) File:Paloma Faith portrait, Manchester Apollo.jpg,
Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, '' Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sin ...

(2016) File:Boy George by Dean Stockings.jpg,
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...

(2016) File:Jennifer Hudson 2011 AA (cropped).jpg,
Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

(2017–2019) File:Gavin Rossdale of Bush at top of his game at Frequency Festival in Austria (7829248436).jpg,
Gavin Rossdale Gavin McGregor Rossdale (born 30 October 1965) is an English guitarist and actor, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush. He helped form Bush in 1992; on the band's separation in 2002, he became the lead singer ...

(2017) File:Olly Murs Sommarkrysset 2012 By Daniel Åhs Karlsson.jpg,
Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of '' The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom ...

(2018–present) File:Meghan Trainor 2015 (cropped).jpg,
Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...

(2020) File:Anne-Marie-4250_(cropped).jpg, Anne-Marie
(2021–present)


Coaches' teams and their artists

In each series, each coach chooses a number of acts to progress to the live shows. This table shows, for each series, which artists he or she put through to the live shows. In each series, artists advance to the final week of the live shows, either by team-based (in the first three series) or entirely by public voting (since series four).


Key

: - Winner : - Runner-up : - Third Place : - Fourth Place


Reception

The first series became BBC One's biggest new entertainment series on record with a consolidated series average of 9.2million/38.5% share. Across all episodes, including results shows, ''The Voice UK'' averaged 8.54m/36.3%. The second series suffered a lot from clashes with Britains Got Talent and premiered 7.47 million viewers in the official ratings. It went on to have the most successful final, however, with 8 million tuning in. This series averaged 7.45m/26.8%. From series 3 onwards, the show was moved to a January start to avoid clashes with ''
Britain's Got Talent ''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloqui ...
''. This paid off as the 3rd series averaged a much higher viewership of 8.1m/31.6% and series 4 went on to average 8.55m/34.8% making it the most watched series to date. Series 5, the final series to air on the BBC, took a large fall in the ratings. It premiered with an official 7.87m, the second lowest to date. The reason behind this is thought to be the dramatic change in coaches after the fierce backlash from Tom Jones' axing. The new coaches were met with mixed reactions, although Boy George grew much more popular amongst viewers.


Critical reception

In 2012,
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's
Paul Gambaccini Paul Matthew Gambaccini (born April 2, 1949) is an American-British radio and television presenter and author in the United Kingdom. He has dual United States and British nationality, having become a British citizen in 2005. Known as "The Grea ...
told ''Radio Times'' that ''The Voice'' is "karaoke" and claimed that while the American series was "fantastic to rejuvenate the careers of two of the coaches,
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
's Adam Levine, it didn't give us a viable artist".
Mark Goodier Mark Goodier (born 9 June 1961) is a British radio disc jockey best known for his time on BBC Radio 1 between 1987 and 2002. He had two spells presenting the station's Top 40 singles chart, from 1990 to 1992 and from 1995 until 2002. He also h ...
also questioned the motives of
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
saying, "Universal have to be doing this because they want market share." On whether ''The Voice'' is to become a "huge hit" in the UK, he added, "It really depends on whether they find a star or not."


International broadcast

On 23 December 2016, Irish commercial broadcaster TV3 announced that ''The Voice UK'' would be shown on the channel, after
RTÉ One RTÉ One ( ga, RTÉ a hAon) is an Irish free-to-air flagship television channel owned and operated by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). It is the most-popular and most-watched television channel in the country and was launched as ''Telefís ...
cancelled ''
The Voice of Ireland ''The Voice of Ireland'' is the Irish edition of the international TV franchise '' The Voice'', a reality singing competition created by media tycoon John de Mol. The first series began airing from 8 January 2012 on RTÉ One. The coaches origin ...
'' in favour of '' Dancing with the Stars''.


Contestant discography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Voice UK, The 2012 British television series debuts 2010s British reality television series 2020s British reality television series English-language television shows Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios BBC reality television shows ITV reality television shows Television series by ITV Studios British television series based on Dutch television series Television shows shot at Elstree Film Studios