The Voice has finally finished with the semi-finals this season, with many fans both outraged and excited by the finalist results.
However, throughout the season, from the Blind Auditions to the Grand Finale, the topic fans haven’t stopped talking about is the coaches’ feedback… or rather, the language they used to dish it out.
This was most prevalent when the secret fifth coach, Tones and I, revealed her presence on the show, shaking up the competition with a group of contestants who had been granted a second chance.
Unfortunately, Richard Marx had quite a few words for the hopeful performers.
While Richard isn’t exactly known for his sugar-coating, his commentary over the season has struck a chord with viewers at home.
Many fans threatened to turn off the show entirely, claiming it has lost its “family-friendly” appeal.
Richard finally released a statement addressing his “harsh” words and behaviour, but fans are still undecided.
What did Richard Marx say on The Voice Australia 2026?
When Tones and I’s role on the show was finally revealed to the judges (a moment many fans claimed was ‘scripted’), Richard called the contestants “lucky” for getting a second chance.
Then, after hearing the Second Chance auditions, Richard had some words for two of the contestants, telling 32-year-old Mikayla Durrant rather harshly to stick with her wildlife science career instead of pursuing singing, and telling Megan Donnelly that he “didn’t feel any emotion” and was “bored” when listening to her sing.
Ouch.
“Don’t waste our f–king time,” he said.
Richard defends his ‘harsh’ criticism on The Voice
Now, with the Grand Finale only a week away, the American singer-songwriter took to The Voice Australia Instagram account to defend his “harsh” criticism and language on the show.
“At this stage of the competition, I know sometimes my constructive criticism might come off as being harsh,” he said. “It’s never meant to be harsh. It’s that we’re at a point in the competition where I need to speak the truth to these artists, whether they’re my artists or not, because what they have ahead of them is only going to get more and more.
“It’s going to be more pressure. It’s going to be harder. It’s going to mess with their heads more.”
Richard also added that his feedback on the show was about separating “the winners from the losers”.
“If you can thrive under pressure, great,” he said. “But if you’re going to cave under pressure?
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure. It’s part of being in the music business. So I’m only trying to offer advice from my experience and hope it helps them.”
Fans divided over ‘disgusting’ language from The Voice coach
While many fans were shocked by Richard’s “tone deaf”, “gross”, and “unnecessarily brutal” words, more were upset that the producers decided to keep this language in the final edit of the show.
“Stop the language,” one fan wrote online. “Beeping it out is not acceptable as well. We still know what they say. I love Richard Marx’s music, his character due to his repulsive language is not acceptable for prime-time TV. Kids are still awake, watching!”
“This show was filmed months ago and then edited,” another commented in agreement. “I understand that the judges can behave badly, but the editors are letting this through. The producers have the final say in what gets aired and how. Ultimately, it sits with them.”
“I can’t believe that the producers are allowing the judges to talk like that on air,” a third exclaimed. “There should be rules and regulations. It’s disgusting.”
However, not everyone was as pressed about the show’s language.
Some viewers expressed discomfort with the language “becoming the norm” and called for it to be removed from “family shows”, while others pointed out that a “gross word here and there is hardly going to ruin a show”.
“Don’t you go outside?” one viewer replied to the onslaught against the show’s language. “Ever been near a school playground? That’ll give your vocabulary a real extension.”
Now that Richard has released his statement, many fans sided with the coach, calling his feedback “good” and “realistic”.
“The music industry is tough, and few make it, so an early reality check is beneficial,” one fan wrote in response to Richard’s defence.
With the Grand Finale ahead, fans have more than language to worry about, with many threatening to boycott the Finale after their favourite contestants just missed out on a spot in the Top Four.
The Voice Grand Finale starts at 7.00 pm Sunday, 27 September, on Seven and 7plus.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Share this post