Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Anne-Marie and Olly Murs will battle it out in The Voice UK 2021 final on Saturday. Each coach has one remaining contestant and it will up to the viewers to decide who will finish the ITV show victorious. However, opening up about all of the auditions he has listened to over the years, Tom revealed which type of singers he’s wary of turning for.
Tom, Will, Anne-Marie and Olly were all listening out for something slightly different during this year’s blind auditions.
Speaking to Express.co.uk and other press, Tom and Olly were asked why they weren’t keen on particular styles of singers such as opera voices.
Tom explained: “The only thing I think about opera singers, I can’t critique an opera singer that much, to know exactly [how to critique].
“I know about the breathing and I know about projection. I know all the basic things that it takes to be any kind of singer.
Read more: Tom Jones opens on up on ‘fighting’ with The Voice UK’s Olly Murs
“But when you get into opera, you start nitpicking. I mean, if a Pavarotti came on, you wouldn’t miss that.”
“You wouldn’t miss any of the great singers like that,” the Welsh crooner added.
“I’d have to turn for that, even though I don’t lean towards opera singers because it’s a very touchy area.”
Olly continued: “Will’s got an opera singer on his team, I’ve got a West End star on my team, I’ve had rock singers before.
“[But he told me] ‘I love Meatloaf I love rock music’ so my brain went, ‘Wow, okay,’” Olly said.
“So for the battles I put him with Olly, and they did, I’ll do anything for love by Meatloaf. I’d never heard that song on a talent show in my life.
“I don’t think we are being, ‘Oh, it’s not what we were looking for,’ I think we’re open to anything.”
“I think the world [we’re looking for] is specialist,” The Voice coach added.
“Any singers out there in the music industry, opera singers and classical singers it’s quite a specialist area. For us, as coaches, I would never refuse an opera singer.
“There was a girl called Claudillea who did the show last year, she actually ended up in Will’s team.
“She was great because you know she could sing in a low register she almost didn’t sound operatic she didn’t sound classical.
“It only when she went to the high notes she went operatic. It was like, ‘Wow this is different. Amazing.’”
The Voice UK airs on ITV on Saturday at 8.30pm.