REVIEW: The Voice, Week 3

I wish I could tell you what happened this week, but I really don’t know. It’s not that I didn’t watch it, it was just dull. Nothing of value happened because it felt like they were trying to rush through so many contestants there was barely time to process what was happening.

In the penultimate blind audition show, the number of contestants going through to the next round was doubled, and once again the BBC demonstrated their talent show naivety so remarkably that one would be forgiven for thinking they’re deliberately trying to make Simon Cowell look good. They seem to be desperate to show us every successful audition, and although that technically makes it editorially unbiased (or at least more so than The X Factor) and fairer, it also makes it incredibly tedious. Yes we want to believe everything is above board, but not if it’s boring.

There was the usual mix of banter, surprise, and regret, but even after three shows it’s getting old. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night was the aspiring rock star who sang Bon Jovi really well but failed to turn the judges’ chairs. The show ended with this posh girl who gave this whole sob story in her VT about how she’s discriminated for having a posh name. I also suspect she would refuse a life swap if I offered her one. Anyhoo, she got through because she actually has a kind of lovely voice, although it pains the working class cynic in me to say so.

Overall, if you’ve seen the first two episodes you’ve definitely seen this one, and I for one am glad these auditions are nearly over. They have no idea how to maintain excitement, but hopefully once we’re on to the next phase it will give things a badly needed shakeup. I want The Voice to work, I really do, but it failed to do itself any favours this week.