The Voice coaches are not all happy with ITV's “harsh” format change: "It's a crusher"

When the former BBC show returns on the other side next year, there's going to be a major new rule for the coaches: if they don't buzz, their chairs don't turn, at all, until the act has left. Which means if nobody buzzes, that's it for the singer – a long, lonely walk off the stage with not a word from will.i.am, Sir Tom or new signings Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale.

“If you don’t push your button for a contestant, you don’t get to see them… If nobody turns then nobody gets to see who’s sung,” presenter Emma Willis told RadioTimes.com on the red carpet ahead of the show's blind auditions.

But although the coaches won’t be able to speak to the singer, they will be able to chat amongst themselves about why they didn’t turn. And Willis – who presented The Voice on the BBC from 2012 to 2016 – thinks that’s going to make the coaches very honest:

“When they see someone and they feel bad that they haven’t turned then it's all very apologetic. But when [the coaches] haven’t seen that person then they don’t have to interact with them directly – it becomes a little more ‘oh, I thought they were a little off-key’ – they might not have said that having seen them.”

But not everyone is a fan of the ‘no buzzer, no turn’ format that’s already used in some overseas versions of The Voice. Will.i.am – the only coach to have appeared in all seasons of the UK show – said the silent treatment was going to be tough on contestants:

“It’s going to be easier for us, but the idea is harsh for the singer,” he said. “No explanation, no like ‘hey, here’s what you could have done better’. They just go in cold. No one cares, no one turns and they don’t even get a nugget of info. That kind of sucks.”

New coach Gavin Rossdale (you know, Gavin? Lead singer of Bush? Dad of Strictly’s Daisy Lowe? Oh, just go and read his bio) is also wary of the change:

“It’s cold. It’s so cold! TV shows are all about moments of drama – things being cold and mean and really good viewing. But it’s rubbish if it’s you… I feel bad for them.”

“It’s a really slow walk [on stage]. Their heart is going to be in their mouth. They’ve got to try and get the song right and remember it. And to do all that – friends and family watching ­– and the chairs don’t turn round… it’s a crusher.”

However, Sir Tom ‘did I mention about that time I performed with Elvis’ Jones thinks it's just what the contestants want: “I think it’s a good idea because one of the worst things is when you haven’t pressed your button and you turn around and you’ve got to explain to the people why you didn’t. I know if I was in that person’s position and nobody turned then I’d want to get out of there!”

That’s not the only change to show. We’re getting a new studio that will.i.am says is better than the BBC set. And also US supersinger-cum-sass-queen Jennifer Hudson, who joins Rossdale as one of the two newbies on this year’s panel.

We’ll also be treated to a spin-off online show called The V Room, presented by 21-year-old Cel Spellman (James Nesbitt’s son in Cold Feet). And the host’s already promising a full “immerse experience” with backstage gossip and plenty of “mischief”.

So far, so intriguing. But ITV aren’t done yet. They’re still keeping back a few closely-guarded secrets about the new show. And we can’t wait to find out what (and how brutal) they are. Stay tuned.

The Voice is set to start in early 2017

It’s one of the most painful moments of The Voice: a singer walks on stage, belts their heart out over the roars of an applauding crowd, yet no coach presses their ‘I want you’ buzzer. No chairs turn. The singer won't be joining any of the stars' teams – but at least they’ll get a few consoling words from the panel afterwards, right?

Not in the new ITV series of The Voice.

When the former BBC show returns on the other side next year, there's going to be a major new rule for the coaches: if they don't buzz, their chairs don't turn, at all, until the act has left. Which means if nobody buzzes, that's it for the singer – a long, lonely walk off the stage with not a word from will.i.am, Sir Tom or new signings Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale.

“If you don’t push your button for a contestant, you don’t get to see them… If nobody turns then nobody gets to see who’s sung,” presenter Emma Willis told RadioTimes.com on the red carpet ahead of the show's blind auditions.

But although the coaches won’t be able to speak to the singer, they will be able to chat amongst themselves about why they didn’t turn. And Willis – who presented The Voice on the BBC from 2012 to 2016 – thinks that’s going to make the coaches very honest:

“When they see someone and they feel bad that they haven’t turned then it's all very apologetic. But when [the coaches] haven’t seen that person then they don’t have to interact with them directly – it becomes a little more ‘oh, I thought they were a little off-key’ – they might not have said that having seen them.”

But not everyone is a fan of the ‘no buzzer, no turn’ format that’s already used in some overseas versions of The Voice. Will.i.am – the only coach to have appeared in all seasons of the UK show – said the silent treatment was going to be tough on contestants:

“It’s going to be easier for us, but the idea is harsh for the singer,” he said. “No explanation, no like ‘hey, here’s what you could have done better’. They just go in cold. No one cares, no one turns and they don’t even get a nugget of info. That kind of sucks.”

New coach Gavin Rossdale (you know, Gavin? Lead singer of Bush? Dad of Strictly’s Daisy Lowe? Oh, just go and read his bio) is also wary of the change:

“It’s cold. It’s so cold! TV shows are all about moments of drama – things being cold and mean and really good viewing. But it’s rubbish if it’s you… I feel bad for them.”

“It’s a really slow walk [on stage]. Their heart is going to be in their mouth. They’ve got to try and get the song right and remember it. And to do all that – friends and family watching ­– and the chairs don’t turn round… it’s a crusher.”

However, Sir Tom ‘did I mention about that time I performed with Elvis’ Jones thinks it's just what the contestants want: “I think it’s a good idea because one of the worst things is when you haven’t pressed your button and you turn around and you’ve got to explain to the people why you didn’t. I know if I was in that person’s position and nobody turned then I’d want to get out of there!”

That’s not the only change to show. We’re getting a new studio that will.i.am says is better than the BBC set. And also US supersinger-cum-sass-queen Jennifer Hudson, who joins Rossdale as one of the two newbies on this year’s panel.

We’ll also be treated to a spin-off online show called The V Room, presented by 21-year-old Cel Spellman (James Nesbitt’s son in Cold Feet). And the host’s already promising a full “immerse experience” with backstage gossip and plenty of “mischief”.

So far, so intriguing. But ITV aren’t done yet. They’re still keeping back a few closely-guarded secrets about the new show. And we can’t wait to find out what (and how brutal) they are. Stay tuned.

The Voice is set to start in early 2017