‘The Voice’ UK: Jessie J officially exits; Rita Ora, Emeli Sande possible replacements
After two seasons, “The Voice” UK is having to officially deal with something that the American version of the show has yet to be forced into: Finding a permanent replacement for one of their coaches. (While Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera took a sabbatical earlier this year to work on other projects, they will be back for the fall).
Almost as expected as soon as her new single “Wild” was officially announced, Jessie J also announced this weekend that she is moving on from the BBC talent competition, and she released a statement thanking both the fans and the series for giving her this opportunity:
“I’ve absolutely loved my time on The Voice and I hope everyone saw and knows how passionately I felt about the show. However, I can’t wait to promote my new record around the world and that has to take priority.
“I shall be keeping a very close eye on series three, showing my support in every way I can and really hope in some way that I can be part of the show.”
Unfortunately for Jessie, neither one of her acts either season placed in the top 3 overall, and she may be choosing to leave at the right time. We still have a hard time imagining that Andrea Begley is going to be the next big star in music, though she should fare better than Leanne Mitchell did. (In between her and “The X Factor” USA’s Melanie Amaro, shows at this point must be hoping for anything other than a female diva-singer sort of winner.)
What we do think she means about being “a part of the show” is that maybe she can come in and advise contestants for the battle rounds, or at least stop by for a performance. This franchise, after all, has a history of being good to its own.
As for possible replacements for Jessie, Rita Ora and Emeli Sande are two names that have been discussed (per the Mirror). We don’t know if either would be the same as the “Domino” singer, but Rita did a pretty good job as a guest judge on “The X Factor” last year.
Are you sad to see Jessie go, and hopeful that she can stay a part of “The Voice” UK family in some manner moving forward? If you do want to read some more news related to the show, all you have to do is click here and see some other updates.
Photo: BBC One