The Voice fans disagree on THIS performer with some praising them as 'amazing' while others call the show 'a fix'

The Voice UK 2024 coaches (L-R): Tom Fletcher, Sir Tom Jones, LeAnn Rimes, will.i.am and Danny Jones
(Image credit: ITV1)

The Voice UK returned to screens last night with a new lineup of hopeful contestants eager to impress the judges.

Sir Tom Jones was joined on the judging panel by The Voice veteran Will.i.am, as well as McFly's Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, and '90s icon LeAnn Rimes.

The launch episode saw plenty of talented singers perform for the judges, but one contestant has sparked some controversy online due to their previous experience. 

Zalika Henry, who is known for her role in The Lion King on the West End, gave an incredible rendition of Daylight, leading to all four judges spinning their chairs. 

The Voice viewers at home were clearly impressed, with some commenting on the 'amazing' performance. 

'LOVED Zalika Henry. Saw her in 'LION KING' the theatre show! GREAT having her in the show,' wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).

While another wrote, '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!'

But not everybody was in agreement over the singer's previous credentials, with some taking to the social media platform to show their anger. 

'Aww this is all fixed,' wrote another viewer alongside an angry face. 

While another commented, 'Next up it's Zalika Henry who is a musical theatre performer.'

Meanwhile, another said in approval of the performance, 'Hi Zalika wow you were amazing on tonight’s first episode of the new series of #TheVoiceUK and congrats on getting all 4 chairs I still remember your Stars In Their Eyes performance 20 years ago as Jamelia!'

Whatever Zalika's background is, it's clear she gave an incredible performance last night. Tune into next week's episode on ITV to see who the judges will be spinning around for next. 

The 13th season of The Voice UK will continue on Saturday 7th September.

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Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren worked on the woman&home brand for four years before going freelance. Before woman&home Lauren worked across a variety of women's lifestyle titles, including GoodTo, Woman's Own, and Woman magazine. After starting out working for a local paper in Yorkshire, her journalism career took her to Bristol where she hunted out stories for national papers and magazines at Medavia news agency, before landing a job in London working as a lifestyle assistant.

A big fan of adventure, Lauren is also a keen travel writer and loves sharing tips on where to find the best places to eat, drink, and be merry off the beaten track. Lauren has written a series of travel guides for London hotels and loves sharing her insights into a destination's cultural and culinary offerings. If you need a recommendation on any UK destination, she's more than happy to help. At the weekend, you'll usually find her hanging out with her pet cat (or anyone else's pet she can get her hands on), escaping to the countryside, or devouring a good book.