Our aspiring singers have sung their way through the blinds, the battles and the semis — and now just four acts remain as the stage is set for the grand final of ITV’s The Voice UK.
At the end of last week’s second semi-final, our four superstar coaches — Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Anne-Marie and Olly Murs — had two acts each, destined for Saturday’s final.
However, in a twist, the viewers at home voted for their favourite singer on each team — and it’s ONLY those four acts who will get to compete for the chance to be crowned winner of The Voice UK 2021, and follow in the footsteps of last year’s champ, Blessing Chitapa, in securing a coveted recording contract with Universal’s label UMOD.
With two consecutive wins under his belt, Olly is looking to make it a hat-trick — but the other coaches are hot on his tail. Especially Welsh singing legend Sir Tom Jones, 80, who jokingly tells us that he may need to take drastic action to steal Olly’s crown…
How confident are you going into this week’s final?
"Well, from the two singers we each chose at the semis, the public has voted for which one of those acts they want to see in the final. So that decision was out of our hands. But we all feel we’ve got the strongest team and we all just want to try and do the best we can with our final singer."
How competitive are the coaches? How much do you want to win?
"I’d say we’re all competitive but Olly always feels really confident because he’s won for the last two series, so he’s looking for a third win. Often it’s myself and Olly who are the final two coaches at the very end. But let’s not count our chickens, as they say. How can I stop Olly winning? I’ll have to step on his foot!"
What impact do you think having no live studio audience might have on the final?
"There’s definitely a different atmosphere when there’s a crowd in the studio itself — it’s a different dynamic — and I do think a lot of the singers would perform differently if there was a live audience. It affects the singers more than it affects us. But that’s the way things are, so you go along with it, try to make the most out of it and I think it works."
What keeps you coming back as a coach on The Voice UK year after year?
"Honestly, I really love doing this show. If people come up to me and say: ‘I’m a singer, what do you think?’ even if I’ve never heard them sing before, I’ll try and give them some advice. That’s been an ongoing thing throughout my life and is why I love doing The Voice so much. I genuinely love to listen to new singers and I like to give the singers on this show as much of my knowledge as I can. I like to pass it on."
Having been in the music business for over six decades, what advice do you give them?
"That you need a few knocks before you can carry on. It’s all part of life, it’s all part of learning. You’ve got to stay determined, no matter what, that’s a very important thing. It shouldn’t be too easy. I like to help these singers understand what they’re letting themselves in for, so they’re prepared for it. That’s a big deal as far as I’m concerned."
You know lots of people in the entertainment industry. Who is the The Voice UK’s most famous fan?
"There’s a lot of people in the business that I talk to and they’re all really interested in The Voice. Entertainer Jimmy Tarbuck is a friend of mine and I know he talks about the show with his golfing pals. Kelly Jones from rock band Stereophonics is also a fan. I talk to him regularly and he says how much he enjoys the show and how he likes the singers I pick. They all get into it — it’s amazing!"
The grand final of The Voice UK can be seen on Saturday March 20 at 8.30pm on ITV.
