The Voice UK returned to ITV on Saturday night (August 23), and viewers were left cringing during a moment when the coaches pitched for a singer to join their team.
Emma Willis welcomed a new batch of singers hoping to impress coaches will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Sir Tom Jones, Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher.
Monique Nicholson-Porter performed pov by Ariana Grande, prompting all five coaches to push their buzzers, turn their chairs, and try to woo her onto their team.
Coaches' pitch leaves viewers divided
During their pitch, Tom and Danny started singing a rendition of Kelly's hit song Dilemma to try and get Monique to choose them as her coaches. will.i.am then jumped in and sang to try and win her over, and Sir Tom also put on a mini-performance.
Monique eventually decided to pick Destiny's Child's Kelly, but fans watching at home found the whole display 'cringe' and rushed to share their thoughts on social media.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan penned: "They're using Kelly's song against her. She needs to fight back now with one of their songs #thevoiceuk." Another added: "C'mon Kelly you can't have that. Sing your song back #Thevoiceuk."
A third person said: "Oh ffs - this is cringe!... #TheVoiceUK." A fourth said: "All this singing by the judges are too cheesy for me #TheVoiceUK."
Some fans enjoy the episode
However, some fans enjoyed the episode, with one fan saying: "Tom Jones is 86 years old and he still has a voice like that. INCREDIBLE! #TheVoiceUK." A second posted: "Danny and Kelly's friendly banter is so funny #TheVoiceUK."
It follows the news that Girls Aloud's Cheryl is reportedly set to join The Voice UK as a coach. Filming for the next series begins in September, and the pop star is rumoured to be ready to return to the spotlight.
Cheryl's reported return and hosting changes
According to The Sun, Cheryl is said to be in the final stages of signing the dotted line. A source told the publication: "Every year producers ask Cheryl to go on the show and it's a polite 'no' as the timing has never quite been right. This year it's different. She feels ready to re-enter the spotlight and talks are now in the final stages."
"Things could come crashing down but with three weeks to go until filming kicks off, the production team is working on the assumption she will be doing it. It helps that long-term friend will.i.am will be beside her on the panel." Daily Mirror has contacted Cheryl's reps and ITV for a comment.
The Fight For This Love hitmaker joining the panel may not be the only shake-up for The Voice UK, as it has also been reported that Alesha Dixon and Stacey Solomon could replace Emma Willis as host.
Mother-of-three Emma has presented The Voice UK since 2014, but her television schedule has continued to expand. She hosts Love Is Blind UK on Netflix with her husband, Matt Willis, and is also taking on a presenting role with Strictly Come Dancing when it returns in September.
The Voice UK airs Saturday nights on ITV1 and ITVX.
