The Voice fans have been left split in their opinions after finding out who will be replacing popular departing judges Olly Murs and Anne Marie Nicholson on the judging panel.
Last year, the two singers were reportedly sent packing by the ITV show despite the pair having starred in The Voice since 2018 and 2021, respectively.
Fans of the singing show had gotten used to Will.i.Am, Tom Jones, Anne Marie and Murs fronting the series, which sees them competing for a team of the best singers in the ultimate talent search before one of them is eventually crowned winner.
However, the show announced last year Murs, 39 and Anne Marie, 32, would be leaving the series. Murs admitted he’d been “blindsided” by the decision at the time.
The programme has now revealed singer LeAnn Rimes will be joining the judging panel as well as The Masked Singer winner Danny Jones and his McFly bandmate Tom Fletcher.
Announcing the update on social media, The Voice’s official X account wrote: “Introducing your Superstar coaches for 2024 and a Voice UK first… The double chair.”
Introducing your Superstar coaches for 2024 and a Voice UK first… The double chair! ✌️🎤 #TheVoiceUK @ITV pic.twitter.com/tAA012pNqw
— The Voice UK (@thevoiceuk) February 21, 2024
Jones and Fletcher will be a team judging act and while some McFly fans were delighted by the news, other The Voice viewers have warned they'll stop watching and some even demanded the programme be axed.
Replying to the X post, one former viewer admitted: "Sorry but you have lost me as a viewer now that Olly and Anne Marie (have left)."
"The show is still going?!!!?? That’s a dead horse alright. We don’t have a single success story from the voice apart from becky hill and that was one of the original series. Time to let it go I think," another fumed.
"This show is so dead. Bring back the X Factor please," a third begged while another penned: "Always team @ollymurs will be a huge miss to the show."
Olly Murs and Anne Marie have left The Voice while Emma Willis and Tom Jones will stay on the show
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"Disappointed that you got rid of Olly," another shared, while one more added: "This show needs to... go."
However, others are eager to see the new judges in action, with one fan stating: "Yayyyyy tom fletcher + danny jones = infinity talent."
"Can't wait to see my fave @TomFletcher and @itsDannyJones on @thevoiceuk. im so excited!!!" someone else commented. (sic)
Speaking to The Sun in September, Murs, who found fame on The X Factor, admitted he was "gutted" to have been dropped by the show.
He told the publication: "I got the call last week to say I won’t be back on the show, and it’s a bit of a shock, to be honest.
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Murs admitted he'd been 'blindsided' by the decision
ITV
"I didn’t really expect that to come. But I don’t want to sit here like other artists might, and shine and gloss this up and say, 'It was my decision'. I don’t want to do that.
"I don’t want to bulls**t my fans or bulls**t people who watch the show, and say, 'Oh, it was an amicable decision to leave — I’ve got lots of things on next year, I can’t do it anymore."
Meanwhile, Anne Marie was announced as the second judge being axed shortly after but has remained quiet about the departure.
The pair took part in the latest series, which aired shortly after the announcement in November and December of 2023.