The Voice: Boy George and Paloma Faith join BBC show as Tom Jones quits
Will.iam and Ricky Wilson will remain on coaching panel
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Boy George and Paloma Faith will be filling the red seats left by Tom Jones and Rita Ora on The Voice when the BBC talent show returns.
Will.i.am and Ricky Wilson will remain on the celebrity coaching panel.
Rita Ora, who replaced Kylie Minogue for series four, has been snapped up by ITV as an X Factor judge this autumn.
Paloma Faith, who was hotly contended to take up a red seat on The Voice, said: “I’m really excited about working with creative people.
“I have a long history of helping break artists as in my club night I booked Kate Nash, Adele, and The Noisettes before they hit the big time.”
Culture Club singer Boy George rose to fame in the Eighties, but his career took a downwards spiral in 2009 when he was sentenced to 15 months in jail for falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall.
He last released a studio album in 2013 entitled This Is What I Do.
Speaking about joining the show, he said: “If I can help someone to win I will be delighted. What a wonderful opportunity to share my experience and help someone move forward with their musical career.”
Emma Willis and Marvin Humes will return to host The Voice, which has been mooted by the Government as one of the BBC shows that could face the axe due to its similarity with The X Factor.
A Green Paper stated: “An element of popular programming is essential. However, concerns have been raised that the BBC behaves in an overly commercial way.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments