Ronan Keating may have just made Melanie C’s path to The Voice Australia crown a whole lot easier.
At least, that’s what some very convinced fans think after Ronan made the shock decision to send Leyla Sabo home in the semi-final.
The 12-year-old had quickly emerged as one of the season’s biggest talking points, turning all four coaches’ chairs during her Blind Audition and winning over plenty of viewers along the way.
So when Ronan chose boy band The 60Four over Leyla, fans weren’t exactly thrilled.
But now, with the Grand Finale just around the corner, some viewers have taken their frustration a step further. They reckon Ronan may have just eliminated one of Melanie C’s biggest threats. And honestly, the theory has got people talking.
However, Ronan told WHO something at the start of the year that debunks it.
Did Ronan just hand Melanie C the win?
One fan was particularly convinced, claiming Ronan had “practically just given the win to Melanie C” by dropping Leyla.
Their argument was that Leyla could have been Ronan’s best competition in the Grand Finale, particularly given the huge reaction she has received throughout the show. They also questioned why Ronan didn’t choose a song that played more directly to Leyla’s strengths, pointing back to her standout performance of Sia’s Alive earlier in the competition.
And they weren’t the only ones questioning the decision.
“Leyla would have been his closest competition,” one viewer wrote. Another said they thought Melanie C could win regardless, but admitted they “didn’t understand Ronan’s choice”.
Then came the comment that really took things up a notch.
“Coaches need to explain their choice because that looks like a choice made by the show’s directors and not Ronan,” one fan claimed.
Okay, so we’re officially entering conspiracy theory territory.
But fans are also divided over Leyla’s age
There is, of course, another side to the Leyla debate.
Since her first appearance on The Voice, the singer’s age has been impossible to ignore. She was just 12 when she turned all four chairs, making her one of the youngest contestants to make it so far in the adult competition.
While plenty of viewers have been blown away by her voice, others have questioned whether someone so young should be dealing with the pressure that comes with a show like The Voice.
That debate became even louder after her elimination.
Some fans were adamant Ronan had made the wrong call, while others felt her age made his decision easier to understand.
One viewer described Leyla as “incredible but not mentally ready”, while another pointed to Ronan’s own comments encouraging her to simply be a 12-year-old rather than rush into the music industry.
So while some viewers think Ronan let go of his strongest contender, others believe there may have been more to the decision than simply choosing who had the biggest shot at winning.
Ronan’s own comments tell a very different story
There is also one pretty big problem with the idea that Ronan deliberately cleared the way for Melanie C. The two coaches have been open about their competitive relationship throughout the season. Ronan has even admitted he very much wants to beat her.
Speaking to WHO, we asked Ronan what it meant to him to get a win over Melanie.
“We all want to win. We all have our pride,” Ronan said in response.
Which, if nothing else, makes the idea of Ronan deliberately handing Melanie an advantage seem a little harder to buy. Of course, nobody can know whether Leyla would have actually made it to the top if Ronan had chosen her.
With The Voice Grand Finale just days away, fans won’t have to wait long for answers. Soon, we’ll know whether Ronan’s decision really changed the game for Melanie.
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