The Voice has officially finished its Blind Auditions, and amid secret twists and second chances, the topic fans can’t stop talking about is the coaches’ feedback… or rather, the language they used to dish it out.
After 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, 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 last couple of episodes has struck a chord with viewers at home.
Many fans are now threatening to turn off the show entirely, claiming it has lost its “family-friendly” appeal.
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 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, his language striking an uncomfortable chord with the viewers watching at home.
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.”
Whether this language is enough to turn viewers off the show entirely remains to be seen. Either way, with The Knockouts commencing next and a place in the Quarter Finals on the line, the competition (and hence the language) is heating up.
The Voice Knockouts start 7.00pm Sunday on Seven and 7plus.
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