UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 23rd MARCH 00.01AM THE VOICE UK IS BACK TO FIND THE NEXT GREAT SINGING SENSATION MORE BLIND AUDITIONS, MORE CHAIR TURNING, ‘STEALS’ AND MORE AMAZING VOCAL PERFORMANCES Coming soon to BBC One Superstar Coaches Sir Tom Jones, Jessie J, will.i.am and Danny O’Donoghue are back in search of the best new singing talent from across the country in the return of smash hit series The Voice UK. The BBC’s most successful new entertainment show in over a decade returns to screens this month with new twists to the format - more action from the famous turning chairs, more talent, more tension and more drama than ever. As one of the biggest international TV formats, with an average UK audience of over nine million for series one, The Voice UK gives people with real vocal talent a potentially life changing opportunity to have a career in music they’ve dreamed of. Between them, Coaches Jessie J, will.i.am, Danny O’Donoghue and Sir Tom Jones have a phenomenal range of experience and success to guide would-be Artists to the top. With over 140 million album sales and countless number one hits between them, they will coach, train and develop their Artists through the competition until one is crowned winner of ‘The Voice UK’ and begins their career in the music industry signing an exclusive record deal with Universal Music. Hosts Reggie Yates and Holly Willoughby return to the show bringing the audience closer to the Artists as they follow all the action from backstage at the Blind Auditions right through to presenting the Live Finals. Last year’s series saw all four finalists, winner Leanne Mitchell, and runners up Tyler James, Bo Bruce and Vince Kidd, go on to start making their way as Artists, all recording albums and learning from the best in the business after being watched by millions on The Voice UK. And the second series offers even more talented singers - from those who have never sung in front of an audience before, through to those with previous professional experience - the chance to prove that they could be the next winner of The Voice UK. In the words of will.i.am, they’re ‘dope’. The Voice is developed by Dutch media entrepreneur John de Mol’s company, Talpa Media and is produced for the BBC in close cooperation between Wall to Wall and Talpa Media. The BBC series is Executive produced by Moira Ross, series produced and edited by Clodagh O’Donoghue and Ed Booth. The show’s format is made up of four stages; the Blind Auditions, the Battle Rounds, the Knockouts and the Live Finals. And this year, in an exciting new twist, the Coaches and the Artists get more than one chance to keep their dreams of winning the competition alive. THE BLIND AUDITIONS What you wear, how you look, your history, your size and your age count for nothing in the Blind Auditions, because the four Coaches have their backs to the stage, so can only base their decisions on what they hear. If a Coach likes the sound of a voice, they can hit a button which turns their chair and lands that Artist a spot on their team. But…if more than one Coach turns, the power shifts to the Artist, meaning they can now choose which superstar would be the perfect fit for their talent. If no-one turns, the Artist is out of the competition. Each Coach must form a team of 12 Artists, and they'll use every trick, every name drop, every bit of their own success to persuade the very best to join their team. Once the teams have been formed, the Coaches must use all their experience and skills to prepare their Artists for the Battle Rounds. THE BATTLE ROUNDS In each Battle, it’s simply, one Song - two Voices - one Winner. Before the Battles, the Coaches along with trusted fellow pop stars and music industry veterans – their Battle Advisors, dedicate themselves to developing their Artists, sharing the secrets of their success and making their team's voices the very best they can be. In the Battles each Coach must pair up their acts to sing against each other in a vocal showdown to decide who will progress to the next stage. After each Battle, the Artists' own Coach must decide who will progress to the Knockouts - and who to send home. “THE STEAL” After each Battle, it's not quite over for the losing Artist. In a dramatic new twist for this series, the Coaches can "Steal" a losing Artist for their own team. So if they missed out on an Artist they loved during the Blind Auditions, now's their chance to finally grab them for their team. Each Coach can only Steal one Artist during the Battle Rounds, so they'd better make that Steal count. If more than one Coach tries to Steal the same Artist, then they have to pitch to the Artist once again to persuade them to join their team, in the same way as the Blind Auditions. By the end of the Battles, each Coach will each have seven Artists remaining on their team and from now on, there are no more second chances. THE KNOCKOUTS In the Knockouts, the Coaches must reduce their teams of seven down to their top three Artists to progress to the Live Finals. Now, the Artists take control. They will each choose just one “Killer Song” they think will give them the very best chance to impress their Coach and win a spot in the final 12. The Coaches will then have tough decisions to make as they choose who they want to take through to the Live Finals. THE LIVE FINALS This is the final phase of the contest, and the first time the Artists perform on live television and face the public vote. Every week, the teams will lose one Artist and by the final, one Artist from each team will remain to sing to be crowned winner of The Voice UK 2013. How does it feel to be back for a second series? Great. I had no hesitation saying yes once I knew all the other Coaches were re- maining the same. It’s a good vibe and it’s a nicer feeling this time around. When you do anything for the first time, you are new to it, and I had never done anything like this before. So this time around, I feel more used to it and it’s a lot of fun. Why do you like being a coach on The Voice? I enjoy the fact I am able to contribute. I have been in the business for a long time and so I feel I should pass on to people my knowledge and what I know. Has the talent blown you away this year? Sure. There are more talented people on this series than there was last year. And by that, I mean there are more of them. This year, I have been looking out for strong voices or someone who has something different to offer. Did you find it hard whittling your team, chosen in the auditions, down to the final stages? Yes. It was really hard as the variety of people was wider which made it harder for me. You get to know the people and you know their potential, which then makes it tough. But I tried to tell them that not everybody could go through and that it was nothing personal. Are you stricter this year? No. The big difference for me is there are different personalities and different singers. My big challenge is choosing the right song. You search for the right track and wonder if the person can handle it. What’s been your favourite bit so far? The Blind Auditions. The reason for this is because it is different. You have no idea what a person looks like and this is unlike any other talent show. There is nothing else you are going with other than the voice. You won last year. Are you confident of winning again? I am not sure. There are a lot of good singers on the show and so it will be difficult because they are all so strong. Do you wind everyone up by telling everyone you won? Definitely. I throw that in once in a while! I have been telling contestants that I won and that if they want to be on the winning team, they need to jump in with me. It is definitely about having fun on the show. Being a Coach on The Voice is not like work because it is so enjoyable. What do you think about the changes to the format? I like them. They give people another chance and one person can be saved. It’s another opportunity for a person to think as they go into the Battle, that if they get voted out, there is another chance. Is it great to be back in Britain again? Definitely. I love Britain and doing The Voice is a great excuse to be back. I loved performing at the Jubilee celebrations last year. Aside from The Voice, what else are you working on? I am going to be doing some shows later in the year and I am also working on a new album. Summing up, it sounds like you are having fun? Definitely. We all get on so brilliantly, it’s great. Have you enjoyed filming the second series? Yes.