RIP The Voice UK

The concept of this show was really exciting and I remember blogging whilst watching the first couple of episodes. Being a lover of trashy reality shows, this was right up my street.
It was up against Britain's Got Talent but held it's own.

Now we have reached the final and we have Will I Am swinging on a wire, Tom Jones in a big novelty bow tie and Amy Winehouse's best mate with his big hair looking vaguely embarrassed by it all.

What the hell happened?

Over the weeks since it's first episode, the bad press has rolled in:

• Judges afraid to tell contestants they're shite.
• Falling ratings against BGT.
• Tom unable to make a comment unless it contains a reference to Elvis.
• Jessie J coming out as a lezzer (well, that's what my partner says, I seem to have missed that one)

That said, I did like the girl with the bug eyes - nice voice - and the overly-camp bleached-blond Essex boy was good value for money. Pity he couldn't actually sing a whole lot.

The one thing I will miss about this show - the big, red swivelling chairs - they were ace.

But please do not bring this show back, BBC - you guys should stick with period dramas and natural history series - leave the reality to the independents.

Out of Order, Britain's Got Talent!

Britain's Got Talent - this is outrageous! I'm really annoyed at this whole Ryan O'Shaughnessy affair. This show has abandoned any principles it may have shown by allowing this boy back into the competition.
For those uninitiated out there, this boy appeared in the first auditions, performing a self-penned ballad on his guitar. Admittedly, it was very good and he won everyone's hearts.
However we were all unaware that he already signed a contract with the Irish version of The Voice. Simon then made a big point of telling Ryan how disappointed he was that he had not bothered to disclose the fact that he was under contract and he was promptly sent home.
Now he is back.
Something about getting out of the contract.
Totally out of order.
He didn't disclose this rather important piece of information and to my mind, he should have been banished from BGT-land altogether.
To make matters worse - and for this I blame Simon Cowell or whoever produces this show - he was placed last in the running order in the last semi-final, surely the most coveted slot. They could not possibly be more biased towards this boy if Simon himself wore a "I love Ryan" t-shirt.
Guys - if young lads playing the guitar is your thing, please vote for Sam Kelly - he has been honest and upfront and deserves a chance. Ryan had his chance and should not be shown this level of favouritism by the producers.
I guess we just need to keep our fingers crossed that the chronically-unfunny (but hilarious) Latvian stand-up guy gets through as the wild card.

Say NO to Showbears

Am really struggling at the moment with Britain's Got Talent.

I just cannot decide which one is the fittest between Ant and Dec.

That aside, do we really need any more "street dance crews"? Just watched a bunch of Essex girls, dressed in Union Jack outfits, dancing to a Chas n Dave megamix. No idea why the judges didn't buzz.

And then there were the Showbears - a group of five "bears" (a gay label used to describe an older, larger, balder gentleman, usually with facial hair) dressed in gold lame outfits and killing some old Kylie tracks. Who needs John Inman to drag the gay cause back into the dark ages? (Actually, at least John Inman was funny)

The standard of talent is such that I am rooting for a dancing dog to win.

BGT Verdict

Not sure I wholly agree with the result of Britain's Got Talent tonight.
The dancing dog? Yeh sure - it was cute and Simon Cowell sure was plugging it.
The Welsh boy choir? Singing in Welsh?? No way, Jose!
Simon clearly recognised the commercial advantage of boy band The Mend and forced it to a public vote...but he was let down. Switching briefly over to ITV2 for Britain's Got More Talent, Simon had disappeared - presumably to sign up the boys before Louis Walsh or some other opportunist got his hands on them.

The Voice vs BGT

The first results show for The Voice UK is aired later today.
I am trying hard to build some enthusiasm for this but after last night's performances, this is proving difficult.
I found myself adjusting my TV's audio controls after Sam Buttery's performance garnered rave reviews from the judges. Am I that tone deaf?
The concept of employing well-known celebrities to judge these hopefuls has increased viewing figures for sure. But I cannot shake the feeling that the show concentrates on said judges rather than on the contestants. Throughout the show, we were fed lines such as "I cannot believe I am in the same room as Will I Am" and "I am so gob-smacked to be working with the legend Tom Jones." With such a major emphasis being placed on the judges, perhaps the show's producers should look for celebrities who spark off each other a little better?

There is no substitute for the bickering of Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell...

Talking of which, last night's Britain's Got Talent was the usual mix of the shocking and the sublime, all backed up by cheeky chappies Ant and Dec.

Simon's radioactive smile lit up the auditorium as usual and we were all waiting with baited breath to hear his verdicts on the conveyor belt of cannon fodder.
I particularly liked the northern gent who played the organ while smiling inanely. I could not make out whether his act was all affectation or if he is genuinely clueless. But I found myself really liking him by the end and I hope we see more of him.

And was I the only one who thought that the whole Malakai thing was a cheap ploy to win over the judges? If you missed it, here's a summary: cute little boy, reasonable singer, pushy mum in the wings, half-way through, the lad starts to cry and mum says he always gets shy and emotional when he performs in front of large audiences. Ipso facto, he has performed before and if he always gets upset doing it, why is this woman pushing him further? Lay off it, mum!
I believe next week sees the last of the live auditions and then the competition starts to heat up. We've already seen the winner, though. "Where me keys, where me phone." Classic stuff.

The Voice..?

BBC TV's The Voice . . . Really enjoyed the initial rounds where the judges were unable to see the singer and just concentrate on their voices. They had a unique premise and glossy production. They were winning in the ratings war over Britain's Got Talent. And they had Tom Jones.
That was until this weekend's episodes.
What has changed?
The judges (Tom Jones, Jessie J, Will.I.Am and some Irish guy who has managed to fly under my radar) have 10 acts and have had to pair them up to go head to head with each other, removing half of them, leaving each judge with 5 acts with which to move forward.
The whole premise, in my view, has been compromised.
For example - last night, one of the judges put forward a soft-spoken girl paired with an older guy who would have given Jon Bon Jovi a run for his money. During rehearsals, his voice was overpowering hers and he was being advised to reduce his volume.
However it was clear that their judge was favouring the girl, as the guy was shown to be overly confident, cocky, even arrogant. The show's editing had me rooting for the girl, regardless of vocal talent.
So why do I have a problem?
The judges have obviously decided who they want to take through, pairing them off with inferior performers wherever possible and allocating them songs which compliment their favoured act. Then it comes as no surprise when they ditch the unwanted underdog.
My partner and I have correctly guessed every winner (bar one) before the actual performance took place, simply from watching the rehearsal clips.
What looked like a really new and refreshing concept has now become an also-ran.
Anyone know when the X Factor is back?