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After what seems like an eternity of the press speculating over which celebrities would be joining the panel of the BBC's UK version of worldwide talent show 'The Voice', we finally have the premiere of the series. Judging the talent from the comfort of their rediculously high-tec swinging chairs will be chart topper and quite loud Jessie J, will.i.am (that's William to anyone with an aversion to rediculous names) from Black Eyed Peas, Welsh crooner Tom Jones (did you know that he was in Hawaii with Elvis? Me Neither) and that Irish man from a band who isn't Bono, Danny O'Donoghue from The Script, ironic name for a band considering some of the lines in the first episode *cough* Tom Jones rhyming off the years that he topped the charts *cough* are quite clearly taken from this. But enough of that, the show is all about the 'voice' (incase you don't know or have amnesia, the coaches kindly remind us every ten seconds) and with that in mind the talent is what I will be concentrating on (that and how many times an episode Tom Jones mentions Elvis Presley).

Recap and videos after the JUMP ...

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Week 1

Jessica Hammond - 'Price Tag' (Jessie J)
Yes - Be aware that chances are somebody will choose a song originally by one of the coaches about once every episode if not more, it will then lead to the coach either having to make the heart rendering decision not to turn around (it's life or death, trust me) or jumping up and down like a gremlin on acid but only if that gremlin is actually a famous singer (this will be Jessie J a lot). Thankfully, Jessica is actually quite good at this song, very good in fact, she performs it to an acoustic backing playing the guitar, there's parts of it which go a bit off key but at other points, she is right on target and reminds me slightly of Jessie herself mixed with Colbie Callait. William (I refuse to waste my full stop button) is first to press followed by Jessie herself, Danny follows suit when he realises that he can press whenever he wishes (I think he's scared of the chair having an unfortunate incident and blowing up, that or he just likes to take his time) and finally Tom gives Jessica, the first auditionee, a full round of 'I Want You' votes (there are so many jokes I could make about that but I won't). I really like Jessica and think that she's destined to go far in the competition especially with Jessie as her coach.


Sean Conlon - 'Trouble' (Coldplay)
No - Sean was in early noughties boyband 5ive who were known for their catchy pop hits and their atrociously spelt name (that last bit was a lie). I'm pretty impressed by how he is singing this, I don't really remember any of the members of the band individually but apparently he wrote their biggest hit 'Keep On Movin'. Vocally, he has an indie tone but there is definitely a sort of folk/soul underlayer there as well, it's a very unique and interesting performance but I don't quite know if it's enough. As he gets to the big note in the chorus, nerves or just inability mean that he doesn't go for the note so the performance sort of just goes nowhere. None of the judges are really reacting much, they all seem a little bit tired as if they've all decided to go to sleep instantaneously although Jessie and Will (short for William, common sense for will.i.am) both hover over their buttons as if they're tempted to hit it. Sean is heading home but the judges, in particular Jessie are really surprised when he reveals what band he is from. Tom says that he sort of blended in with the band, I don't know if that was the problem, I liked the vocal, I just didn't love the performance overall.



Samuel Buttery - 'Set Fire To The Rain' (Adele)
No - I'm disappointed that this guy didn't audition for 'The X Factor' instead as Peter Dickson is just born to say his name. Anyway, Samuel who looks quite like Craig Colton is trying to make it in the industry but feels like he wouldn't be accepted for who he is in more conventional auditions where image counts. I don't know why because Craig, Susan Boyle and Mary Byrne are all examples of contestants who have went far in talent shows despite not fitting the conventional image of a popstar. Anyway, the vocals are okay in this performance, they're not amazing, to start off, he sounds a little bit like Adele herself but as he gets into the chorus in particular, it all goes a little bit off track and he overpowers the song with his voice. Channeling my inner Louis Walsh, he's like a little Craig Colton (not really, I'm pretty sure he's around the same age as Craig but just play along). Tom presses his button, the other judges don't, he goes a little bit lost for words and starts to laugh and get excited. Danny, the one who isn't Bono says that he thought Samuel was a girl, nope pretty sure he's a man. Craig, sorry Samuel (Where is my mind?) is talented, he may have started shouting the chorus and I'm not a massive fan of the belter singers but it's a nice performance all the same, oh well, let's see what Tom does with him.



Toni Warne - 'Leave Right Now' (Will Young)
Yes - This is technically the fourth sob story (remember it's all about the voice) after the school story with Jessica, being restricted by his past fame with Sean and the whole image issue with Samuel but this is a proper get the tissues moment as Toni tells us of how alopecia, a condition which made all of her hair fall out knocked her confidence and made her think she could never make it in the music industry. This is the first big wow moment for me, vocally, she is such a diverse and unique artist, she reminds me a little bit of Melissa Etheridge mixed with early Annie Lennox and Carole King also, I know that probably makes you conjure up an image of Annie Lennox's hair on Carole King's head but let's just roll with it (I would say swing so I can make a pun about the judges' chairs but that doesn't work, okay?). The judges seem impressed too as Jessie turns around firstly, followed swiftly by Danny (he can be first to turn around, Danny you can be first to turn around) and then by Tom. Toni tells the judges about her story and Jessie cries (female judges on these shows like to cry, I think it's the onions under their chairs, well I don't but it's a good theory). No, in all seriousness, Toni has an amazing story and is a very inspirational person, after a tough decision, she opts for Jessie as her judge, a wise decision in my opinion.



Aundrea Nyle - 'Crazy' (Gnarls Barkley)
No - Aundrea has purple hair, Jessie J has purple in her hair also, therefore Jessie J is the best person to coach her. With that totally irrelevant fact out there, Aundrea can now sing. She's performing a song which I really like and she's okay at it but honestly, much like Samuel earlier, she has a great personality and I reckon she'll definitely be well liked on a personality basis by the judges but vocally, the chorus in particular is a little bit screechy for my liking. There have been plenty of diva vocalists over the years on talent shows and honestly, she's not really a stand-out for me. Regardless, Tom sees something in her and chooses to turn around for her, nobody else does so. Danny, who again, isn't Bono (I'm not sure why I'm saying that, it's a habit by now) says that it wasn't what he was hoping for, Jessie and Will(iam) don't seem to have been all that bowled over by the performance but Tom is her coach and that's what will happen, I hope we can see her true potential in the Battle Rounds because she probably is talented, this song just happened to expose her weaknesses.



Adam Isaac - 'Maybe Tomorrow' (Stereophonics)
No - Adam is part of an indie rock band, he also surfs, presumably this will benefit him greatly in the Blind Audition because he will be able to surf his way through the song (somehow I don't see that happening). Anyway, he's okay, his vocals aren't atrocious but it's a bit unremarkable for my liking, it doesn't really do much for me, I like the song, I'm not a massive fan of Stereophonics but I think that he did it justice. Danny mentions creative control (it's Danny's favourite quote much like Tom loves to mention that guy Elvis someone, by the way, he mentions him here, what a surprise). Back to the voice (it's all about that, remember?), the 'Find my way home' lines are sang very smoothly, there's Thom Yorke vibes coming through in this performance as well as Adam Levine from Maroon 5, weirdly I prefer it upon second watch to the first time I saw the performance. Anyway, William and Tom have a bit of a name drop fight where Will mentions some man called Michael Jackson and Tom recalls meeting Elvis in Hawaii (did you know that he went to visit Elvis Presley?) oh and Will compares him to some 'cats' he knows back in the USA, presumably he knows some talented animals, that or it's a colloquial phrase (I'd love it to be the former, I really would). Anyway, Elvis seems to do the deal as Adam chooses Tom to coach him.



Max Milner - 'Come Together/Lose Yourself' (The Beatles/Eminem)
Yes - Max is wearing a hat and has a guitar, did you know that people wearing hats and playing guitars are automatically 10 times more talented than non-hat, non-guitar playing people (not really, I just made that up in my head but it sounds cool). This is the best performance so far, it's so fresh and unique and it's without a doubt one of the most original performances I have seen on any talent show in recent years even if there are various versions of this mash-up on You Tube. His voice is absolutely brilliant, he has a marvellous tone, something between Paolo Nutini, James Blake and Ron Pope, there's a lot of soul in his voice despite him singing more rocky, edgy songs. Jessie, Will and Danny all turn around for him but silly Tom (who met Elvis once) doesn't, silly Tom. He unsurprisingly chooses Danny who sings songs of a similar genre to Max despite William telling him that he was responsible for working with Macy Gray before she made it big time (not that it's relevant in any way). Danny who isn't Bono (or Will Young who was supposedly on the panel originally) has his first act and they're my favourite so far.



Ben Kelly - 'Rocket Man' (Elton John)
Yes - Can I just put it out there that I know his cousin, that makes me automatically related to him (well it doesn't but that's besides the point). Another irrelevant point before I start is that he looks slightly like Michael Cera. Anyway, Ben is a student from Derry (I live near there!), who now lives in London where he attends university. He also has a You Tube account which has recieved more than a million hits for some of the performances he has uploaded on there. I really like this performance actually, it isn't perfect, part of the performance is a little bit pitchy and he kind of loses it at the end but regardless, I like his quirky crooner style, he reminds me of former 'X Factor' contestant Nicolo Festa before he sang Lady Gaga and went out in Week 1. He's playing the keyboard and the whole performances goes together really well, he has barely sang the first few lines before Danny (he's also Irish, saying as he doesn't know Ben's nationality, it's likely that he didn't do a Louis Walsh there) and William have pressed their buttons. Jessie and Tom are a bit later in pressing their buttons but yet again, we have another full house of 'I Want You' votes and Ben has got a tricky decision to make. Well, it doesn't take him that long to decide to go for Jessie, I think this could be an interesting pairing actually, Jessie has been writing music for ages so her and Danny's creativity could work together really well.



Twinnielee Moore - 'The Climb' (Miley Cyrus)
Yes - Twinnielee has the most random name I have ever heard in my life, she sounds a little bit like a Cbeebies character (it's probably because her name sounds like Tweenie). She's the girlfriend of Max who got through earlier with an awesome Beatles and Eminem mash-up and she applied for the show without telling Max but now she's hoping both of them will get through. I like her voice, she's singing a country style ballad but she's not completely country, she actually has an edgy Pat Benatar or Avril Lavigne esque voice which really appeals to me. Okay, it's slightly pitchy but there's definite potential there and I prefer it to some of the performances of those who did get through. Overall, I would be prepared to press my button but unfortunately the coaches aren't having any of it and none of them decide to turn around for her, poor Twinnielee will have to be fully behind Max now but I'm fairly confident that he is going far in the competition. Oh well, I'm sure you'll agree that Twinnielee's rejection shows exactly how high the standard of the acts are on this show even those who don't get through.



Phil Poole - 'Drops Of Jupiter' (Train)
No - Phil's granny is backstage with the rest of his family, grannies are always at the centre of emotional moments on talent shows so expect tears to be shed regardless of whether he does or doesn't get through. I'll be honest, his vocals aren't great overall, it's all a little bit pitchy for me, I just don't think that Phil's vocals are of a high enough standard for the song. Aww, the little granny is crying already, she is quite adorable. Anyway, the performance gets better as the song goes on, it's still not fantastic mind but it's better than the frankly dodgy start to the performance, the final note is okay, it's a little bit warbly but it's better than what I was expecting. Nobody turns around but Danny comments that he was close to turning around and William says that he was hoping Danny would press his button, why didn't he press his own then? Silly him.



J Marie Cooper - 'Mamma Knows Best' (Jessie J)
Yes - Wow, I was most definitely not expecting this sort of a performance. Jessie J's vocals on this song are incredible and J Marie most definitely does it justice. She mentions that she was a backing singer on one episode of 'Strictly Come Dancing' but I still hadn't been expecting that she would be this polished. William is the first one to press his button (that spelling joke will never get old), he's followed by Jessie and Danny who suddenly remembers that his button works again. Ooh, Jessie is up dancing, that is like a standard for female judges on talent shows by now also. Tom rounds off the 'I Want You' votes making J Marie the third one to receive unanimous 'Yes' votes from the judges. It's between Will and Jessie who decide to have a little argument (oh the tension is getting heated here) whilst she sort of ignores Tom and Danny (well they're not American or Jessie J) and listens to these two harping on. Jessie J describes her voice as 'redonkuloso' (buy the Jessie J dictionary in all good stockists soon people) but she decides to go for William after he utters a long deep speech about unknown hurt (he's so deep he makes the Atlantic Ocean look like a puddle). Oh and he also makes a little dig about having various successes compared to Jessie's relatively new success. J Marie will definitely be going far.


So that's the first show over us, so far, so good. For me, I think the USA and Irish versions have been better in that the overall flow has been slightly more flawless and the Irish version in particular focused on the voice instead of showing too many sob stories, a trap which I fear the UK version has fallen into slightly. With that all said, the judges are pretty good. Tom Jones (who once met Elvis in Hawaii and went to his house) is witty and up for a laugh but the name drops may grate eventually, even still, he is shaping up to be a good judge. William may have a silly name (someone was eager with the punctuation anyway) but knows talented cats and makes decent comments and Danny is a bit too reliant on the other judges, so far not being the first to push his button even once but once again, he is obviously able to give constructive criticism. And of course Jessie, she's been really great so far even if I am worried that having headbutted her button and used her foot her next creative way will be to do a somersault in the air and karate chop her button. So yeah, I guess you could say I'm relatively pleased wit how the show has went so far.

Week 2

Heshima Thompson - 'Dynamite' (Taio Cruz)
No - Heshima was on The X Factor last year and was featured briefly in a montage clip which saw him performing 'OMG' by Usher. He has also starred in quite a few BBC1 series including Eastenders. I like his voice, he's getting off to a good start with this acoustic arrangement of the song but as he gets into the chorus, the song is sped up and subsequently, his vocals suffer. Danny and William are first to turn around for him, wait did Danny just make a decision BY HIMSELF? He kind of didn't but at least he's not waiting on other people to go first, by the way, just a reminder, this man is neither Will Young nor Bono but he is quite like one of those nodding dogs from the 90's when he starts bobbing his head along with the songs. Jessie and Tom also turn their chairs around simultaneously giving Heshima a full house. These coaches are very easy to please, the performance was quite good but he did a bit too much dancing and his voice went off pitch at times because of this. I like Heshima but in terms of urban acts, I don't think he's the best I have seen. Surprisingly to approximately zero people, he chooses Will impressed by his remix of the phrase 'I'm sorry'. Personally I thought Jessie J's impersonation of a Black Eyed Peas song based on that one phrase was riveting, in fact I turned my chair around for it (I didn't really, I was sitting on a sofa which is quite heavy to turn around).



Barbara Bryceland - 'Wild Horses' (The Rolling Stones)
No - We've had quite a few of singers of this style on these talent shows. From Susan Boyle to Mary Byrne, the old style belters in a vein to Barbara Streisand usually do pretty well. I for one however, am not a massive fan. Barbara sure can sing, there's no denying that and she does a pretty decent, if shouty rendition of this song but it lacks depth and emotion, the song itself is such an emotional song but all I get from the performance is a very fierce vocal, there's no emotion which just takes away from the performance in my opinion. Tom turns around because she is literally a female him apart from the fact that she's Scottish and 48 (just run with it okay?). Barbara is okay, not my favourite but not my least favourite.



David Julien - 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved' (The Script)
Yes - David is like a little Matt Cardle, if he was a painter/decorator and liked to wear hats. Correction: David is like a non-hat wearing, non painter or decorator Matt Cardle, he's Matt-without-a-hat. Anyway, as fun as that all is, it's about the voice (please don't tell me that you forgot, that's why they constantly tell us for all those people who don't listen the first time, the second time or the eighty ninth time). Anyway, he's singing a song by Danny, the guy who isn't Bono's band, The Script, on the subject of scripts, I think Tom is due to mention his success with Elvis. David has a nice voice but it's not exactly amazing, it's soulful but it doesn't really do anything different, the big question however is who he could possibly choose, will he choose William or Danny, the guy who sings that song, what a puzzling question, I can't possibly figure out the answer to that, maybe he'll flip a coin (Oh SPOILERS, not really). Of course he chooses Danny, quite an obvious decision, Danny says he has cojones or did he say cajones? He either has a certain part of the anatomy or he has boxes, maybe he has boxes? Anyway, being serious for once, I think David could be a really good act, he isn't the best I've seen but he's good and he should improve under Danny's guidance.



Kerry Ellis - 'Son Of A Preacher Man' (Dusty Springfield)
No - I have no idea what Kerry Ellis possibly has to gain from auditioning for this show. She has been a massive figure of West End theatre for 10 years or so and she's renowned for her roles in the likes of 'Wicked' and 'Les Miserables'. Plus, last time I checked, I thought she was signed to a division of Universal? Anyway, she's singing a Dusty Springfield song and doing an okay job of it, there's a bit of a pitch problem in the chorus in particular, I quite enjoy the verses but she sort of overpowers the song with her very powerful West End vocals. With that said, I don't think she was that bad and based on some of those who have got through, she definitely deserves a shot. I think I wouldn't turn around were I in that position as I wouldn't be the best coach for her but I'm surprised Tom or Jessie didn't turn around for her. Surprisingly, it's Danny who was closest to hitting his button. However, I'm a bit cynical of how genuine it was, Kerry Ellis is mega talented and really well known so it just doesn't seem right that she would audition for The Voice especially as she has released an album with a division of Universal and as far as I can see, is still contracted to the label. On the other side, how did none of the judges know who she was when she said her name and what she had been in?



Vince Kidd - 'Like A Virgin' (Madonna)
Yes - This is a really funky and quirky arrangement of the song, I almost didn't realise what the song was at the start. The higher part of his voice reminds me very much of Deandre Brackensick from American Idol, weirdly he's from that horrible boyband Futureproof from Series 4 of 'The X Factor'. He was the short one that nobody knew the name of who accompanied the grumpy one who nobody knew the name of, the tall one who nobody knew the name of and those other two guys who nobody knew the names of. Thank God he's out of that because this is far more interesting, all four of the judges turn around for him, I kind of love the way he plays around with the song but still brings energy to the song despite it being slowed right down. The coaches all really want to have him on their team and it's no wonder why. Jessie J explains her special facial expression language to the audience and to Vince, nobody really cares. Tom Jones says stuff, nobody really cares. William says something, nobody really cares. Vince chooses Jessie J, Jessie J cares.



Shansel Huseyin - 'Nessun Dorma' (Pavarotti)
Yes - Holly tells us that some of the acts have very unique voices which we not necessarily think of upon seeing them. We are then introduced to 17-year-old Shansel who looks like a typical popstar. Of course, with it being about the voice, the judges won't see Shansel so there's a chance they may not expect to see a young girl especially as she's singing an opera song. I'm far from a classical expert (I am to opera what Louis Walsh is to fashion) but this is pretty good for someone who we're told has no previous experience of opera singing. She does overdo it slightly on the vibrato but it's something which I imagine can be controlled very easily with a bit of professional expertise. William does a sort of 'Hmm, I'm intrigued' face which means he's interested. It's not the best Blind Audition but it's certainly not what I expected and for variety purpose, she has to get through surely? Oh no wait, nope, none of the judges turn around and William does a sort of 'Oh dear what have I done' face when he sees who the voice belongs to whilst Danny does a sort of 'Raging 4 U' face when really, all of the judges are silly billies. Anyway, personally, this exposes what is a potential flaw in the show, based on technical vocals alone, Shansel was one of the strongest in the competition but because none of the judges seemed to know what to do with her, they didn't turn around for her. I think Shansel would have made a great addition to the show especially as she would have made for a great Battle Round, maybe there'll be callbacks?



Vince Freeman - 'Sex On Fire' (Kings Of Leon)
Yes - Vince doesn't look like your stereotypical rocker, I sort of half expected him to belt out a bit of Take That or something similarly poppy especially as he looks extremely like Toadie Rebecchi from Neighbours. There's a natural grit to his voice which reminds me a bit of Chris Daughtry, I really like his voice, I reckon he could be a bit of a dark horse with the right coaching from whoever chooses him. He seems like the sort of person who would be able to win over the public so provided that he is able to pull out some fantastic performances between now and then, I'm quite excited to see how he manages to perform, it should be a very interesting process as he doesn't just fit into any one style or genre. Singing without shoes is a bit weird but Danny is the perfect mentor for him and I'm entirely unsurprised that he was the one who turned around for him.



Aleks Josh - 'I'm Yours' (Jason Mraz)
No - I like the sort of soul acoustic vibe of the likes of Jason Mraz but this performance is a total letdown for me. I had a very high hopes for Aleks to be spectacular as he came on with a very confident attitude and seemed to be quite assured on stage but he just doesn't have the voice. The tone to his voice is okay, it's not amazing but it's not bad but there are pitch problems throughout the song, in fact, almost immediately, he hits a bum note. Oddly, William and Danny both press their buttons within about ten seconds of him starting and for me, they turn around far too early as he just more or less loses it in the chorus, it's pretty shaky. He's still way better than any of the bad auditionees on The X Factor but the swaying hips, the fake Jamaican accent, everything is all a little bit amateurish for my liking but oh well, after choosing Danny, I'm sure he can work out something.



Frances Wood - 'Where Is The Love' (The Black Eyed Peas)
Yes - I was dreading this as I thought that she would be a Cher Lloyd wannabe but she is far more interesting than that. She reminds me slightly of Dia Frampton from Series 1 of the USA version, she has a kind of Americanized tone to her voice but it's something which I really like about her voice. She sort of loses it during the 'One Love One Love' part of the song but it's still a nice performance, she clearly wants Will to be her mentor as not only does she choose a BEP song but she also says 'Come on Will(iam)' during the performance. It's a good, if not extraordinary performance and I look forward to seeing what else she will sing during the show, she definitely has a future on the show and I'm interested to see who she is eventually paired with later in the competition for the Battle Rounds as she strikes me as someone who will be extremely versatile and different.



Matt and Sueleen - 'A Little Time' (The Beautiful South)
No - Interestingly we haven't had a duo yet so it's interesting to see two singers together singing a song. Okay, the opening to the song is pretty good, it's haunting and reminds me a bit of Kate Bush singing with someone like Morrissey, it's a very interesting mix of voices. However, the harmonies are pretty rough, they don't really blend together as voices so it all goes a bit odd for me, it's not dreadful but it definitely wouldn't be my sort of performance and I don't think I would have a clue what to do with these two, they don't strike me as being easy to do justice to and I think that Tom, oh and Jessie aren't necessarily wrong in turning around for them. They decide to use an unconventional way of choosing which coach to go for by flipping a coin. Yes, do they really want to make the show look like even more of a gimmick than it already does with the chairs?. Obviously the coin is a Tom Jones fan as they have to go with it when the coin says Heads.



Holly Cosgrove - 'You Need Me, I Don't Need You' (Ed Sheeran)
No - Holly is already looking a bit like a Gaga wannabe with her quirky fashion sense and the way she is coming across in the interview before emerging onto the stage. Perhaps playing a Gaga track in the background whilst she talks is hinting at things a little too strongly. I'm not sure what to think of this performance, she seems to be trying to turn this song into something of a rock song and is putting on weird low pitched voices which I just don't really like that much. It's not awful, I kind of like the intensity of the whole performance and she reminds me slightly of Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless in a way but it's overall a bit breathy and rough and it definitely wasn't enough for me anyway for her to merit a place in the competition. Unsurprisingly, nobody turns around, she's okay, not the worst singer that has been in the competition but I think that her diction was a little lacking somehow but all the same, a nice performance.



Deniece Pearson - 'Fighter' (Christina Aguilera)
Yes - Deniece was in sibling group 'Five Star' back in the 80's but they haven't been in the charts for years so she's trying to get another shot at music success in 'The Voice' where her past with Five Star won't be known by the judges until after she has performed, remember it's all about The Voice don't you? She's pretty good, there are a few pitchy moments but she does a really good job with the song overall and I like her version of it, it's not a patch on the original but it's still really good and no wonder Tom turned round, he already has a diva singer and Deniece should work really well in a Battle Round with them, I personally think that with the right help from Tom and provided she gets the right song, Deniece could slay pretty much any opposition she's given, she has so much potential and she ought to go pretty far in this competition as long as she stays consistent and doesn't lose it. Really promising start to what should be a long time in the competition, I really enjoyed that performance even if I was dubious at the start.



David Faulkner - 'Superstitious' (Stevie Wonder)
No- Not a fan of this song at all mainly as it brings back horrible memories of Olly Murs performing it pretty averagely during The X Factor. This is okay, there are a few bad notes here and there, it is very shouty especially in the chorus which really puts me off the performance overall but it's okay, he nails some of the notes, others he completely misses, overall he has a nice voice, I wouldn't be willing to press the button for him as I don't think he's my kind of artist but under Jessie's influence, I'm sure he shall do great things.



Week 3

Joelle Moses - 'Rolling In The Deep' (Adele)
Yes - Wow, I do remember her being quite good on 'The X Factor' but I genuinely wasn't expecting much from this audition because of the song choice. How wrong was I? Her voice is so interesting, it's full of emotion and power yet her control is like that of a professional who has been in the industry for years and years rather than for a 21-year-old who is auditioning for a talent show. She has so many different tones to her voice but she especially reminds me of Leona Lewis and also of both Toni Braxton and her sister Tamar. Joelle gets all four judges to turn around for her and begins to cry to which Jessie and Danny go to comfort her. However, as he arrives at the foot of the steps, Danny (presumably) has an icky tummy and returns to his seat (not really I lied). Joelle is definitely one of the stand-outs so far, really excited to see what else she can pull out of the bag. She chooses William.


Jay Norton - 'I Need A Dollar' (Aloe Blacc)
Yes - Hmm, I wouldn't say that it's my favourite performance ever but it is a little bit weird vocally, Jay has a nice voice but he's singing some of the notes in particular the 'dollar' part very oddly. His voice is still altogether one of the more interesting of all the contestants so far. I would probably turn around for him as he's more than good enough to justify being put through to the next round considering how poor some of the others who have got through have been. With that said, he will definitely need to step things up considerably if he plans to go far in the competition as he could be quite possibly facing trouble if he's paired up with a really good act for the Battle Rounds. He has a choice of two rather than the full house that Joelle got, between Tom and William, he chooses the latter to be his coach.


Allyson Brown - 'Somebody Else's Guy' (Jocelyn Brown)
Yes - Allyson has had previous success having won a MOBO back in 1998 and starring in shows such as 'Secret Diary Of A Call Girl' however she's hoping that she can really make it in the big time by trying out for the voice. This song is absolutely impossible to sing flawlessly but I have to say although Allyson isn't perfect, she's nearly perfect at this, it's brilliant, really soulful and really unique, so far, she's the only pure soul singer I've hear so far. Maybe it's a tiny bit old-fashioned but the song is quite retro so it's not really a bad thing that she has a more old style voice. Anyone who can hold their own on a Jocelyn Brown track deserves to get somewhere and I can't quite believe that nobody turned around for her even if Jessie did admit to regretting not putting her through. However, Allyson definitely will go somewhere based on her attitude, she was so understanding and lovely when they rejected her especially as she definitely deserved to get through.


Leanne Mitchell - 'If I Were A Boy' (Beyoncé)
Yes - I'm used to Beyoncé songs being murdered on talent shows so to say this is a nice surprise is an understatement, it's unbelievable. Leanne has a set of lungs on her to say the least and surprisingly, she seems more than able to reign her voice in when she needs to, what a talented singer. Tom and Danny provide a little bit of synchronized button pressing, soon to be a featured event in the 2012 Olympic Games (yes, that was a joke, it's okay). Her big notes make Danny pucker his lips, I'm assuming he's surprised and he's not planning to throw himself out of his chair to attempt to kiss her, well I hope not as that would be cringeworthy. Near the end, she does overpower the song ever so slightly but it doesn't take away from what is an overall brilliant performance. She goes for Welsh crooner Tom as her coach for the competition, finally some more serious talent in his sea of mediocrity.


Cassius Henry - 'Closer' (Ne-Yo)
Yes - Cassius has previously released singles in the past and was signed to Universial, if I remember correctly. However, after the death of his brother, things went a bit pear shaped for him and he didn't have the confidence to try and give music another shot until now, hoping that the memory of his brother will encourage him in the competition. This is a song that isn't often sang well, it's incredibly difficult to sing because of how many key changes and runs there are throughout the song but I have to say, without sounding too over complimentary, Cassius certainly makes the song look easy indeed. We had Heshima last week but for me, Cassius completely blows him out of the water, he has a more interesting and importantly, a stronger voice for the urban market. Jessie is first to press followed by that Irish Guy who surprisingly is neither Bono nor Will Young to all of you who cannot tell the difference (I lie, he doesn't look like either of the aforementioned, his hair looks like a hedgehog though). Anyway, Cassius decides to go with Jessie, seemingly because she represents a similar market to what Cassius hopes to aim at, either that or because she sensibly advises him not to trust people with denim on denim, an important message to send out to everyone watching the show. Will tries to get Cassius to go with Danny and the man himself makes a big song and dance about, yes you guessed it, CREATIVE CONTROL! That all sort of flops though because Jessie is his choice Danny!


Denise Morgan - 'Love Song' (Sara Bareilles)
No - What was Tom thinking? The whole song appears to be in a totally different key, maybe it was just a poor song choice or something but her voice seemed far too strong for the song, she was singing in a really weird tone and seemed to completely misjudge the vocal strength needed for the song. I'm not going to sit her and say how bad she is because according to various people, she is usually much much better singing so I'm going to go into the Battle Rounds with that in mind rather than thinking of how much I didn't like the performance in Blind Auditions. To Team Tom it is, I just wish that he would be more selective.


Murray Hockridge - 'You Give Me Something' (James Morrison)
Yes - He has a really interesting tone actually, it's quite old-fashioned but it has a nice rocky edge to it. Interesting fact but according to a poster on YouTube, Murray is the son of the late Edmund Hockridge who was a pretty well known West End performer and starred opposite Suzi Quatro in a performance of 'Annie Get Your Gun'. Anyway, his falsetto is fantastic however like Denise, he is montaged which sadly means one thing most likely, if he does make the live shows, regardless of his performances, he isn't going to last long (see Ashley De La Rosa in The Voice USA as an example). If he does make it past the Battle Rounds, he'll have to pull something incredible out of the bag in order to get far for Team Danny.


Hannah Berney - 'You and I' (Lady Gaga)
Yes - Welsh cheerleader Hannah is up next and is singing a song which I like but find can often be oversung (see Amelia Lily of The X Factor UK fame). This is definitely not falling into that trap as she is singing it pretty flawlessly, she has a unique tone, one which isn't soulful and bluesy or quirky indie, the two standards on talent shows set by the likes of Rebecca Ferguson and Diana Vickers. If anything, her voice is quite Americanized, if I have to compare her to anyone, she probably reminds me slightly of Mutya Buena or VV Brown but with an edge similar to American singer Pink. I really like her voice although I wish she had tried to strive for the high notes in the chorus as it feels a little bit flat when she sticks to one range for the 'You and I' note. First to press is Danny, followed by Tom, her falsetto is brilliant, I have to hand it to her. In addition, her personality is adorable, she has a case of stage fright so to speak and forgets her mother's name which is Charlie Brown, it happens us all sometimes (it doesn't really, I lied). Unsurprisingly, Hannah goes for Danny even though she like Tom is from South Wales.


Cris Grixti - 'Forget You' (Cee Lo Green)
No - Cris is quite short, he seems to see this as a disadvantage to his chances in the music industry, I severely doubt it matters. He reminds me a bit of a slightly more out of tune Brian Kennedy, the song isn't great for his voice, very pitchy throughout. Weirdly, after none of the judges have turned around, he goes into a rendition of What's New Pussycat by Tom saying that he was probably conceived to the song and sings that better than his Blind Audition. However, it's not enough and Cris goes home without a single Yes.


Bill Downs - 'She Said' (Plan B)
Yes - Bill is engaged to be married and unfortunately, he may end up having to postpone the big day if he gets through today. Straight away, I'm really enjoying the performance, his voice is very like Justin Timberlake and his upper range is pretty remarkable. His falsetto is pretty fantastic especially as the song doesn't strike me as one that would really allow someone to show off their falsetto. If I had to say one thing, I would say that his vocals falter somewhat on the bigger notes, he still does have a brilliant voice, Danny gets him on his team being the only mentor to press their button for him.


Kate Read - 'True Colours' (Cyndi Lauper)
No - Kate tells us about her close relationship with her mother who she describes as her best friend. As lovely as that as and as sweet as Kate comes across, the performance is a little bit weak for my liking, her vocals are okay but they don't really stand out. However, obviously the coaches disagree with me as Will turns around almost immediately whilst Tom also wastes no time in turning for her. I have to admit that she is very good at pulling off some of the more raspy aspects of the song but I don't particularly like her tone during the mellow parts of the song. Regardless, she does have some talent so I can understand why the two coaches who turned around did what they did. She decides to go for Will as her mentor, rejecting Tom, poor man.


Kirsten Joy - 'Heaven' (Emeli Sandé)
Yes - As soon as I saw that Kirsten was part of a montage, I wasn't expecting to see much but she is fantastic, her extended audition shows that. Her voice is surprisingly bluesy, a little bit like Rebecca Ferguson actually and even though I absolutely adore the original and don't particularly like seeing it be covered, she definitely does justice to the Emeli original. I can't wait to see what her and Jessie can do together later in the competition as she has the potential to be a fantastic performer and I hope that she isn't discriminated against purely because her audition wasn't shown in full. Let's hope that she goes against the odds and makes it far in the competition because I am seriously impressed.


Ruth-Ann. St Luce - 'Run' (Snow Patrol/Leona Lewis)
No - I remember Ruth-Ann from her stint on 'The X Factor' and was impressed at the time with her surprisingly mature voice despite her youthly appearance. However, this was quite clearly not up to scratch. With that said, the thing that stood out for me was the odd backing from the band so it may have been a combination of poor backing and poor singing. Jessie presses her button for her, I don't necessarily blame her as her upper range and her vocal ability is second to none, the problem is much of the song was in a different key even if the last note was showstopping. I don't think I would have pressed but she definitely has the potential to go far in the show and with a bit of coaching, she can overcome her not so great audition.


Alys Williams - 'Someone Like You' (Adele)
No - This wasn't what I was hoping for, you need killer vocals to be able to pull off an Adele song and Alys has nice but slightly weak vocals in my opinion. Of course it was an interesting performance but I can see why the coaches didn't turn around for her as although she has potential, with songs like this, her weaknesses are exposed rather than her strengths which is what a good s0ng choice will show. I do feel sorry for Alys as people with weaker vocals have already got through but all the same, unfortunately I wouldn't have been turning around.


Nathan James - 'Living On A Prayer' (Bon Jovi)
No - Rocker Nathan is up next to face the judging panel with a big rock song, a Bon Jovi classic. His vocals are okay, nothing special but for me it is the song choice that really disappoints me. It's not terrible but it just doesn't live up to my expectations, the song has been performed so many times and nothing that he does with it makes it different or stand-out. What puts me off, and I know that I wouldn't know this if I were one of the coaches but he comes across a little bit overconfident which is off putting especially as one of the coaches would have to work alongside him. Not dreadful but nothing standout about that audition.


Tyler James - 'Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay' (Otis Redding)
No - I remember Tyler when he released music in the 00's and loved some of his singles, he's also a friend of the late great Amy Winehouse and is hoping that her memory will encourage him to strive towards future success. Okay, I have to admit that I was expecting a little bit more considering the songs he released in his previous career. His vocals are okay, they aren't as bluesy as I was hoping them to be and he misses a few notes but on the plus side, he really gets into the emotion of the song. Only Will turns around for him so it's Team William for Tyler.


Bo Bruce - Without You (David Guetta feat. Usher)
Yes - She may not look it but Bo is pretty wealthy and comes from a very well respected family. The name and the image don't really fit that backstory so already I'm intrigued by Bo. And the song is fantastically original, she puts on the song a twist that I have never heard put on the song before. She has very unique vocals, a bit like Dolores O'Riordan and Dido, two artists whom I'm a massive fan of. I definitely think Bo shows a lot of promise and the fact that both Danny and Will push their buttons shows just how unique and talented she is. She decides to go with Danny, I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Bo Bruce but I expect she'll be marmite, the really unique ones always are.


Week 4

Emmy J Mac - 'Put Your Records On' (Corrinne Bailey Rae)
Yes - This is a gorgeous vocal, really soulful, not quite as good as the original but she reminds me a little bit of a mixture between Alesha Dixon and Tulisa vocally. She has a really interesting voice and I could see her going far in the competition. William, Tom and Danny all turn around and Will gives her the wonderful compliment of 'If I went to your concert and you were pitchy, I wouldn't tweet about it'. How kind of you. Tom mentions Janis Joplin and how he has worked with other famous people, he also worked with Elvis though he doesn't like mentioning it (more than twenty times every hour). Jessie channels Cilla Black (Surprise Surprise not included) and asks Emmy which 'Blind Date' she'd like to go with. Emmy decides to go with Danny, another girl for his team meaning he just has one space left to complete his team.


Jenny Jones - 'Mercy' (Duffy)
Yes - She doesn't have quite the vocal powerhouse voice that I was expecting her to come out with. It's not weak in anyway but it's a lot more controlled than I was expecting it to be not that it's a bad thing. The song choice is perhaps a little bit boring but I like Jenny's voice and can definitely see her doing well. In terms of the team she would fit best into, Tom has the most similar artists in his team. Alas, he doesn't turn but on the plus side, Will and Danny both turn around, Danny tailing Will being the ever independent coach. She goes for Will, the best choice in my opinion as I don't think Danny works with more diva-esque girls as well as he does with quirky girls such as Hannah.


Sophie Griffin - 'American Boy' (Estelle feat. Kanye West)
Yes - I know this girl, just saying, anyone putting my impartial hat on down and not basing it on geographical location, I'm still really impressed. Sophie has a fantastic voice, she sounds very like Jessie actually, her voice is very urban and so far, there hasn't been anyone bar perhaps Frances with a similar style. However, her voice is more powerful than the aforementioned. Will leaves it to the last minute but then turns around for her. However, it's Danny who she's excited to see having queued for hours to get tickets to see 'The Script' in concert. I actually think she's coming across really well, her excitement is quite endearing, a nice change from the usual consummate professionals who tend to just smile and nod instead of showing some real personality, Sophie has the potential to go very far. With Jenny and Sophie onboard, only one more space is available on Team Will now!


Ben Lake - 'I (Who Have Nothing)' (Ben E. King)
No - This song only really has a place on talent shows when sung exceptionally like Jordin Sparks did in American Idol and Mary Byrne did on The X Factor. Ben has a nice voice however, he's not anything special. He has a nice voice but he's too musical theatre, he doesn't have the potential to sell records because his music doesn't appeal to the mass market. His voice is quite operatic in quality but for me, it's not enough to turn around for as he would be quite a hard act to work with without making him really clichéd. None of the judges turn around but are very complimentary of his voice and say that he sounds quite operatic.


Indie and Pixie - 'Perfect' (Pink)
No - This isn't as good as I was hoping it would be. The first to come in (don't know which is which) isn't brilliant but it seems to get worse when the other one comes in, they can't harmonize, it just sounds like they're trying to outdo each other and this song is very hard to do justice with one voice never mind with two. In addition, I don't like the whole over emphasised American accents, they don't suit the song, I much preferred Misha B's rendition of the song during The X Factor last year, this performance disappoints me. All four judges turned around, I don't know, maybe they sound better live because it didn't sound good from the television anyway. It's definitely not 'dope' in my humble opinion. They are fresh but I don't know, they choose Jessie, hopefully they can improve under her guidance. Only one more space left on Team Jessie also.


Lindsey Butler - 'I Don't Want To Talk About It' (Crazy Horse/Rod Stewart)
Yes - When I heard the song, I wasn't sure whether I would like it or not but this song suited her voice perfectly, she has a combination of country and rock in her voice like something you would hear Stevie Nicks singing and I actually really love it. She may not be the most current act on the show but Susan Boyle has shown that it's not just commercial pop that can be successful and Lindsay has the voice and the passion to sell it. Tom turns around for her, she strikes me as a Team Tom member for some reason and I see her doing well in the competition if she gets the right songs and the right coaching. Tom is now down to one space too.


Harriet Whitehead - 'What's Up?' (4 Non Blondes)
Yes - This is probably my favourite song choice so far, it's inspired, such an amazing track and Harriet is absolutely smashing it, I love her style and her voice. The judges are bound to turn around for her. Okay, Will is trying to convince Danny to turn around for her. AND HE DOESN'T. Are the judges crazy? Much weaker acts have been turned around yet Harriet, one of the most unique and original to come on the show doesn't get even one coach to turn around for her? She's crazy talented and is bound to go far, I'm devastated that she didn't get through, even if they are down to very few spaces left, Harriet was worth it. Oh well, their loss I suppose.


John James Newman - 'Pack Up/Don't Worry (Be Happy)' (Eliza Doolittle/Bobby McFerrin)
No - Hmm, this is an interesting twist, mashing up two songs with a similar cheery feel but for me, John James is just an okay singer, he's nothing special and I think he shouldn't have been placed straight after Harriet as I'm wondering how Harriet didn't get through considering how much more original she was, John James reminds me a bit of Olly Murs and I really don't like faux-reggae. It's not awful but I doubt he's going to be a massive music star, he lacks the originality or the charisma for me. Tom and Danny turn around for him but it's Danny who gets the nod of approval from John James as he becomes the last to join the Irishman's team.

Danny's team is full!


Ruth Brown - 'When Love Takes Over' (David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland)
Yes - I'm betting Tom is relieved that John James didn't pick him now, this is absolutely astounding, how can such an amazing voice be coming from such a young girl? She sounds like Heather Brown mixed with Macy Gray, it's extraordinary how mature her voice is for her years. I would love to have been in the audience for the performance, she can't just sing, she can absolutely blow the roof off the arena with her voice. That final note is crazy, you would swear it's manipulated digitally if you listened to a studio version but no, Ruth has the lungs of about 500 opera singers combined, it's amazing. She didn't sound like she was struggling once and the fact that she could sing the song without getting pitchy or shouty says a lot about her vocal control. Boy is she talented!

Tom's team is full!


Becky Hill - 'Ordinary People' (John Legend)
Yes - She has a really interesting voice, I adore this song and she is doing it brilliantly, her voice is perhaps a bit Cher Lloyd esque for my liking at times but she certainly has a unique and interesting tone. I think Becky could be a good act, she can be styled in many unique ways and she has a pretty low pitched voice for a girl so she could easily do some other male urban songs if that is how she wishes to go direction wise. A very good performance, no wonder Jessie and Will waste no time in turning around. She has a tricky decision to make but goes for Jessie meaning just Will has a space in his competition.

Jessie's team is full!


Chloe Blackwell - 'This Love' (Maroon 5)
No - (Insert joke about her looking a bit like Tracy Barlow from Coronation Street because I'm funny like that). Chloe has an interesting voice, it's soulful, a little bit shouty and pitchy but it's in no way a poor performance. However, I think her breathing requires work as she seems to get out of breath quite easily and in addition, the big note is okay but not amazing, her falsetto also needs a bit of work. Chloe has a nice voice but I think there are a lot of other female vocalists who are much more accomplished than she is and she would probably end up being little more than Battle Round fodder so it would be a no for me too. Will agrees and doesn't turn around.


Daniel Walker - 'Kiss From A Rose' (Seal)
No - Daniel has a nice voice, I love this song but I can kind of see why he didn't get through, his voice is nice but it's a little bit old fashioned, this song is great but very 90's and I don't think that his tone is the most unique. I'm surprised that he didn't get through but saying as it's so limited now that only Will has a space on his team left, I feel like it's probably for the better that he didn't get through, he's certainly talented and he did a great job but I think that his voice just didn't have any star quality.


Jaz Ellington - 'The A Team/Ordinary People' (Ed Sheeran/John Legend)
Yes - This is a really quirky take on the Ed Sheeran track that Jaz does, I haven't heard many soulful arrangements of the song, very good vocals, possibly a little bit stiff for my liking but it was still a really unique and unusual performance. I really do like him as an artist, I think he will be a frontrunner in the competition. Okay, Will does go a bit over the top with his comments but he's definitely a very emotive performer who pours his heart and soul into every performance, Jaz is one to watch in this competition, I don't agree with the second song or with him being slightly overrated but he's very good.

Will's team is full!


And that's it. Now each coach has ten acts, these contestants will battle it out in the Battle Rounds. I'm especially looking forward to Joelle, Jaz, Sophie and Max.

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