It has been confirmed that Boy George and Paloma Faith will be the new coaches on the next series of The Voice UK.
George – who is perhaps most revered for his contribution to the New Romantic movement of the 1980’s with his band, Culture Club – will be replacing Sir Tom Jones on the panel.
Speaking of his new appointment as a singing mentor, George said: “I’m thrilled and excited to be a coach on The Voice UK. I’m a huge fan of the show and have watched and engaged with it from series one. If I can help someone to win I will be delighted. What a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences and help someone move forward with their musical career. I can’t wait to sit in that chair!”
George and Faith will be joining Ricky Wilson and Will.i.am on the show, replacing the likes of Tom Jones and Rita Ora.
Meanwhile Faith – who is a Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter in her own right – is set to replace Rita Ora, who has defected to ITV’s rival singing competition, The X Factor. “I’m really excited about working with creative people who are there not just to be great singers, but also innovative personalities and performers,” Faith said.
She continued: “I have a long history of helping break artists as in my club nights I booked Kate Nash, Adele, and The Noisettes before they hit the big time and four of my band members have gone on to pursue successful solo careers. I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into something that cultivates the talents of another person and takes the focus off myself for a bit.”
The pair will be joining returning coaches, Ricky Wilson (of Kaiser Chiefs fame) and Will.i.am, in those infamous spinning red chairs. Blind auditions for the upcoming series begin next month in Manchester. Emma Willis and Marvin Humes are set to return as hosts of the show for a third time.
Suggested to be the “liveliest” series yet, Series 5 of The Voice UK is set to air on BBC One in January 2016. Watch Faith and George singing together at a 2011 event, below.
