The Voice Australia promised its biggest shake-up yet this season and, well, it certainly got people talking.
The singing competition returned with a surprise fifth coach, Tones And I, secretly watching the Blind Auditions from backstage and waiting to rescue selected artists who fail to turn one of the four red chairs.
It’s a twist designed to give contestants a second chance, which sounds rather lovely in theory. However, one detail of the new format has left some viewers singing a very different tune.
Under the shake-up, artists who don’t receive a chair turn leave the stage without meeting or hearing feedback from coaches Kate Miller-Heidke, Richard Marx, Melanie C and Ronan Keating.
For those watching at home, the process has made an already brutal rejection feel even harsher.
Why are The Voice Australia fans unhappy with the format?
In previous years, contestants who failed to turn a chair would still come face-to-face with the coaches after their performance.
They may not have secured a place in the competition, but they were often given constructive feedback, encouragement or, at the very least, a few kind words before leaving the stage.
Now, the chairs remain firmly turned and the hopeful singer simply walks away with their head hung low.
One viewer shared their disappointment in a Facebook fan group, arguing that the post-performance conversations had been one of the show’s strengths.
“We have lost something very important if this interaction is lost,” they wrote. “It is basically turning your back on people.”
They acknowledged the purpose of Tones And I’s secret team, but questioned whether the new twist needed to come at the expense of every unsuccessful contestant receiving feedback.
Viewers say format change is a ‘big mistake’
“I understand Tones is forming her own second-round team, but this doesn’t ameliorate the rejection of not speaking to people who have made themselves incredibly vulnerable in showing up,” they continued.
And when you consider that contestants have just performed on national television for four global music stars whose backs are quite literally facing them, a little reassurance probably wouldn’t go astray.
Other fans quickly agreed, with one writing, “The contestants put their heart and soul into it. At least the judges could do [sic] is acknowledge them. Very disappointing.”
“Big mistake to change the format,” commented another. “That is a no-no to have them just walk off without feedback.”
Tones and I feels like a ‘fairy godmother’
Interestingly, viewers don’t appear to be against the twist itself — they just don’t love what has been removed to make it possible.
Hidden from the rest of the coaching panel, Tones And I has been keeping an eye on the singers who leave the stage empty-handed. If someone catches her attention, she can bring them onto Team Tones for some one-on-one guidance before giving them another chance to audition.
“I feel like the fairy godmother, and I get to save all these beautiful Australian artists,” she said of her new role.
We’ve already seen her powers in action, with both Red Roy and Jamie Koul receiving unexpected lifelines after failing to turn a chair.
Jamie had accepted that his time on The Voice Australia was over when Tones appeared backstage and revealed she had watched his audition. She then invited the young singer to join her secret team, proving that this season, no chair turn doesn’t necessarily mean no chance.
Fans could still warm to secret coach
It’s an undeniably heartwarming addition to the competition — at least for the lucky few chosen by Tones. For everyone else, the experience ends without a chair turn, a second chance or even a conversation with the four coaches.
That’s the part viewers are struggling with.
Change was always going to ruffle a few feathers, particularly on a show built around a format audiences have watched for more than a decade.
But while fans may warm to the secret fifth coach, there’s one part of the old format they aren’t ready to turn their backs on just yet.
The Voice Australia airs Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays at 7.30pm on Channel Seven and 7plus.
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