The Voice UK has been improving in the ratings every week since it returned for a second season. With judges Jessie J, will.i.am, Danny OāDonoghue and Tom Jones ready for another week of blind auditions, we were looking forward to seeing some more undiscovered talent try and achieve their dreams. Who would get through to the next stage and who would be left out in the cold?
Carpet-fitter Jamie Bruce was the first to audition this week. Before he took to the stage he revealed that if it doesnāt happen now then itās over for his musical dreams. Singing Try A Little Tenderness, Jamie convinced will.i.am to turn his chair first whilst the other judges looked torn about what to do. Eventually Tom also turned round for the husky-voice Jamie whilst Jessie J and Danny didnāt. will.i.am said he was āblown awayā by the first few notes whilst Tom said he āloved itā but revealed that he waited as he wanted to see what Jamie would do with the rest of the song. Who did he pick? After much tense silence Jamie pledged Team Tom.
Next to try his luck was 23-year-old Jordan Lee Davies. With a bodybuilder for a father, the youthful singer was skinny as a rake and not at all like his dad. Before taking to the stage he admitted that heās not the typical looking popstar. Could he win over any of the judges? For his audition he sang The Darkness classic I Believe In a Thing Called Love. Jessie J had trouble figuring out of the voice she was listening to was a man or a woman. At the last minute will.i.am and Danny both turned round meaning that Jordan would be moving through to the next round. will.i.am said that Jordanās range was āincredibleā before Danny led the crowd to chat his name in the hope of landing Jordan for his team. Jordan chose will.i.am.
Charlie Ryan sang a soulful rendition of Letās Get It On which left Danny and Jessie J thinking there was two people performing on the stage. Sadly none of the judges turned their chair for him meaning that Charlie didnāt move forward. Aret Kapetanovic looked glamorous as she sang Upside Done with a vibrato-filled vocal. Jessie J was really into the performance but didnāt spin her chair around. None of the other judges did either which meant Aret was going straight back home. Tom said that she should have sung sultry songs rather than something uptempo.
Cherelle Basquine entered The Voice UK to make her children proud but could she win over the judges? Singing Cheryl Coleās Call My Name, Cherelle certainly took a chance with her audition. Her version was nothing like the original and her voice is capable of songs with a bigger range. Jessie J commented that the song wasnāt the right fit for Cherelle as the judges debated turning their chair around. As the song came to an end Tom hit his button and spun his chair around. Thatās another one for Team Tom then! Jessie J passed comment on Cherelleās diction saying it needed to be better.
38-year-old Ricardo Afonso followed in Cherelleās footsteps. The musical theatre star said he was taking a big risk entering The Voice UK but he wanted the opportunity to changehis and his familyās lives. Singing Hard To Handle Ricardo got off to a rather high-pitched start and halfway through the song he got Dannyās approval. Tom turned his chair round at the last moment once again but who would Ricardo side with? Team Danny!
Sean Rumsey, a former X Factor star, sang Maroon 5ās Payphone winning votes from Tom and Danny. Round 2 was on the cards as the pair battled it out to convince Sean to join their team. Once again Danny was victorious as Sean picked him over Tom. Round 3 was former Hollyoaksā star Alice Barlow who sang Carly Rae Jepsenās Call Me Maybe. Once again Tom and Danny both turned their chairs around but who would get Alice on their team? Team Danny wins again! Three victories in a row for The Script frontman.
Taking a little break from the auditions we got a little montage of Danny flirting with anyone and everyone female. What a man whore he is!
24-year-old Katie Evans from Brighton was next up. A sob story was the order of the day as she revealed past troubles with drugs and alcohol. Becoming a mother and training to be a midwife has turned her life around and now she fancies a crack at singing. Singing You Got The Love Katie seemed really nervous. Her patchy performance led none of the judges to turn their chairs round and Jessie J commented that nerves got in the way. Tom told Katie to use the rejection to give her strength.
Nu-tarna, a female duo, were next to audition for the judges. The girls used to be in a group called Girls United and have reformed as a duo especially to audition for The Voice UK. The two girls didnāt seem to sing in harmony at any point during the performance but will.i.am hit his buzzer meaning the girls made it through to the next round. Jessie J told Nu-tarna that they needed to work on their harmonies if they wanted to progress in the industry.
Nurse Gemma Marshall stepped onto The Voice UK stage next to audition for the judges. Performing Rita Oraās How We Do (Party) she wasnāt successful. Eva Iglesias, a personal shopper in a supermarket, belted out the Dreamgirlsā classic And Iām Telling You Iām Not Going. Her screechy performance didnāt impress any of the judges so she didnāt move on in the competition. Jessie J said her voice sounded tired. Next up was the rather colourful Em Brulee who also failed to progress in the competition.
Inventor Ant Henson was hoping to break the streak of bad luck with his audition but sadly none of the judges turned their chair around. Dog groomer Cassie Chan said that music is what she really wants to do but her performance of Alex Clareās Too Close didnāt impress the judges. Gill Forster, a hairdresser, revealed that she is forced to sing in her salon by her boss but the judges didnāt see her potential. Jessie J told her that she was being ātoo safeā.
The second chance saloon came knocking with Nate James. The once almost-made-it popstar is having another crack at the music industry. Could he impress the judges or would he follow Kavana and return to his day job? Getting off to a shaky start with Sealās Crazy, Nate struggled to find his stride. Jessie J and Danny pushed their buzzers but didnāt seem 100% committed to their decision. Jessie recognised him instantly whilst Danny asked for more information on his background. Who did Nate pick? Team Jessie J.
Rap/soul duo DeāVide sang My Girl and got approval from Jessie J. Another steal for Team Jessie! That means that Jessie J and Danny are in the lead with 10 acts each.
Lareena Mitchell, a professional Adele impersonator, hoped to impress the judges with her audition. Singing Annie Lennoxās Walking on Breaking Glass, Lareena was a little all over the place in terms of her pitch and tuning. Still that didnāt deter Tom who pushed his buzzer and added her to his team.
Colin Chisholm, no relation to Melanie C, has been trying to break into the industry for years but heās yet to find his big break. Could he finally find it on The Voice UK? His daughter put his application but did she do the right thing? Paul Carden from Liverpool was also hoping to find success after his career had stalled a few times. Would either of them progress in the competition?
Colin was up first and he sang Roy Orbisonās I Drove All Night. Always one for a big voice, Tom hit his buzzer and it seems, for the moment anyway, that Colin is back on the road to success. Paul Carden now had his turn in the spotlight but was a second chance on the cards for him? A rendition of Bruno Marsā Locked Out Of Heaven was his audition song of choice. We thought it was a bit flat but Jessie J couldnāt make her mind up. Danny hit his button in the last seconds meaning that Paul would be going through to the next round.
Next weekās show is the final round of the Blind Auditions and the competition is almost about to really get started. By the end of next weekās episode all four judges will have full teams of 12 and the Battle Rounds will commence. Itās been an interesting season so far but we think things are about to get a whole lot more interesting.