The Voice UK judges Paloma Faith and Boy George have admitted they have reservations about the show’s transition to ITV.
George said he is “gutted” the BBC let the show go to the rival broadcaster after refusing to enter a bidding war.
Coach Boy George on The Voice (BBC/screengrab)
Both judges joined the show as new coaches for the 2016 series alongside will.i.am and Ricky Wilson.
Appearing on Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Culture Club star George, 54, said: “It’s a brilliant show and I think we are all kind of gutted that it is leaving the BBC.
“I’m gutted it’s leaving the BBC because it’s been so brilliant. I wish they had kept it.”
Paloma Faith and her acts on The Voice (Guy Levy/Wall To Wall/BBC)
Paloma, 34, added: “We are scared of the unknown.”
The Upside Down singer said she is not sure who will be back as judges next year.
“I love the show but nobody really knows whether they want us or not,” she told host Alan Carr.
Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky had said he is leaving the show at the end of this series – but he revealed he could be tempted to reconsider.
Ricky Wilson wipes away tears on The Voice (BBC/Screengrab)
“I’m not going to go back and do The Voice when it comes back – this is my last one,” he said.
“But I always have to think about my dad, and if ITV offered me a load of money I would say to my dad, ‘I didn’t want to do it because I didn’t think it was right’ he would go, ‘You f****** what? Do it! And pay off your mortgage’.
“So I might do it, if it would pay off my mortgage, yeah. You have to think about these things.”
The Voice coaches will.i.am, Paloma Faith and Ricky Wilson (BBC/Wall to Wall)
Looking back on his first year on the show, George said: “The thing that surprised me is that you can get involved with the singers. It isn’t just a TV show, you do get to kind of influence what they do.”
Alan observed that it seemed like The Voice’s coaches spend more time with their contestants compared with the judges on The X Factor.
George also seemed to take a swipe at X Factor judge Rita Ora for forgetting her contestants’ names.
Rita Ora and her Girls: Havva Rebke, Lauren Murray, Kiera Weathers, Monica Michael, Louisa Johnson and Chloe Paige (Thames/Syco)
He said: “It’s funny because I was having a coffee with Monica Michael the other day and she kept saying that Rita kept forgetting her name, so yeah, you are right.”
Monica was runner up on The X Factor in 2015, when Rita was her mentor.
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