Singers who were already known when they walked out

The format's favourite trick is a singer the coaches might recognise by ear and must not recognise by sight. Kevin Simm is the winner fans use as the example, because Liberty X had already put him on British television and radio before he stood on The Voice UK stage.

Coaches are the other half of the same trick. Jessie J, will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora, Olly Murs, Jennifer Hudson, Meghan Trainor, Anne-Marie: every one of them was an act with a public career before the chair. The contestant is not supposed to see that career until the button is hit. The audience at home sees it the whole time. That is why the home audience shouts at the screen.

Not every familiar voice wins, and not every winner was familiar. The show is a mix. Treating it as a pure discovery show ignores Simm and ignores the coaches. Treating it as a reunion show ignores the singers nobody had heard before the first note.

A fair fan account keeps both. Famous acts sit in the chairs. Sometimes a famous voice stands in front of them. Mostly, the person in front of them is hoping the chair cannot tell, because there is nothing to tell yet.

This is an independent fan note by Aston Kennedy, founder and owner of this site. It is not written by the artist, and it is not an official page.

The music sites that sit beside this fan writing are Roktalk, NTS Music, Kool 946 FM, The Shapeshifters and Simian Mobile Disco. Family pieces are on The Mother Magazine. The fan site is The V Fan Site.