A golden rule for The Voice UK coaches during auditions: if nobody turns their chair, none of the panel can speak to the disappointed singer. Well, except if you’re will.i.am, apparently.
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Although the Black Eyed Peas frontman has generally followed the rule since it was introduced in 2017, the rapper broke it during the latest episode after a memorable performance from grime artist AK.
Making a strong start on stage with a rap set to Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, the builder soon forgot the lyrics, leaving a long awkward pause before recovering. And while none of the coaches – will.i.am, Tom Jones, Olly Murs and Meghan Trainor – turned their chairs, will.i.am ran over to AK after the music had finished.
Grime artist AK
“What happened out there?” Will asked the 24-year-old contestant.
“I was so ready and I was practising so much,” AK replied. “As soon as I missed one bit, I was trying to catch it. I knew when the break came I was going to hit it even harder and make someone turn. But it is what it is."
After hugging AK goodbye, Will told his fellow coaches: “We saw someone stumble, fall, and then get up.”
“We've all been there as artists and it's not nice to make those mistakes,” Olly said. “He can now learn from that mistake for the next time he performs.”
“That used to happen to me,” added Meghan. “If I messed up one little thing, I’d freak myself out and mess up the rest of the song.”
Although AK won’t have another chance to impress the coaches in next week’s episode, there are still plenty of acts set to sing for a place in the competition. And, with a bit of luck, most of them will remember all their lyrics.
Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.
