A win for Danny's Team: Andrea Begley is The Voice

Was it a shock? Really? The moment Jessie told everyone to Vote Leah was probably the turning point, cos us viewers are a bit funny like that.

I think it will always be the most mainstream artist to win - the demographic of the audience suggests it. But like last year, all the finalists will get their shot.

Andrea is a deserving winner, any of them would have been. With the right songs she'll gain an appreciative audience, and Danny has proven himself when it comes to the right songs. I wouldn't say she blew me away on the night, but I could definitely sit and listen to an album quite happily. Ho Hey was my favourite by her.

Leah did blow me away with the extended version of Lovin' You. The way her voice soars and dips I find incredibly moving, although I wasn't so sure of I Will Always Love You, a good start gave way to a bit of dodgy section, I thought. As for the duet, fantastic production but really dear Will, a little bit indulgent, maybe? More Leah, less Will next time, eh? But I loved her dad. I reckon he probably got as many votes as she did.

Mike did well but I guess it's not really my thang. But if there is a market for country here, he will do well. Biggest shock and final 'One that got away' was undoubtedly Matt, who won the first and second rounds for me, by far the strongest performances. My only explanation is that soul singers are less of a novelty now, it could have easily been Trevor up there. Only topped by Leah's Lovin' You as far as the performances on the night go.

So there we go, over for another year and I can hopefully get back to more straight dance news. In fact, I'm musing on changing the blog ever-so-slightly so it can be a bit more consistent on the dance/theatre front, with less on the reality shows - the Sleeping Beauty post I did recently proved to be far more popular!

So I shall see you soon, probably with a few snippets while I decide how to re-design. Not sure I can part with the Glitter Balls though ...

The Voice: Semi Finals

Not one but perhaps two shocks? I thought Joseph would have made it through but it looks like Tom's earlier instinct was correct with Mike. And if left to Jessie, I'm pretty sure Ash would be sitting pretty in the final, although on the night I have to say I also preferred Matt.

Our finalists then: the Gentle Folky sound of Andrea, whose pure vocal again created goosebumps, versus Country Boy Mike, with that lovely tone that's gotten stronger each week, versus Soul Boy Matt, as watchable as he is listenable, versus In-A-Genre-All-Her-Own Leah, smashing it again. I agree with Jessie though - a safe song for her. They couldn't be more different and we have no idea who the public are favouring. Isn't that fantastic?

The team performances were also a major contrast. Jessie and her boys just saaaaang it; Danny has a knack of choosing great songs to show them off and delivered again; Tom tended to drown out his two and as for Will? Love him to bits but that was pants by the girls, it was fun but Will was the star.

Losing Ash was a blow to my team, but appearances suggest Jessie will not let him fade away. I'm left with just Leah although Cleo went out fighting, giving it everything. Karl seems assured of support from Danny, while Will told Joseph and Cleo he wanted to work with them.

Relive the semi final performances again here. The final begins at 7.15pm, see you then :)

The Voice: Quarter Finals

It's public vote all the way tomorrow - who'll be the shock exit, I wonder?

My team of four are intact: Joseph; Leah; Cleo and Ash, although that will definitely be reduced to three at most, since both Leah and Cleo are Team Will. And since Leah went to no.3 in the downloads this week with her awesome rendition of I Will Survive, I'm pretty sure it'll be her going through. Star of the week again for me.


Joining Leah in the Semi's on a Fast Pass were Ash (Lego House, good interpretation), Andrea (Hey Ho, got the place rocking) and Joseph (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher, didn't blow me away as much as I thought it would).

Through on the public vote were Cleo (Imagine, brave and great to just hear her sing) Karl (A Thousand Years, quite lovely) Mike (When I Was Your Man, the best I've heard him) and Matt (Wonder, such amazing presence).

Out went Sarah and Leanne, both given high tempo so so songs (Love Sensation and  Where Have You Been respectively) which showed off their voices but didn't capture emotionally, whereas Alys did turn Jamaican reggae into Welsh folk but with a few wobbles (Is This Love) and Mitchel, the best of them, with a terrific performance of Radioactive, full of energy and confidence.

Song choices will have a major impact tomorrow, let's hope they choose wisely!

The Voice: Knockout Rounds

Last weekend saw the coaches cull their teams down to three each. By and large you couldn't argue with their decisions, although I lost a lot of my favourites *sad face* And most of the performers excelled, making their coaches decision much tougher than anticipated.

Due to the odd number, each team had one member sail through on a Fast Pass to the live shows. They were able to show off what they can do at the end of their team's section. For Team Will, Leah was the Chosen One, with the absolute best performance of the night for me, singing Minnie Ripperton's Loving You and making it her own. Goosebump City, absolutely stunning.



Tom chose Mike Ward and while he's a nice guy, I thought vocally he was one of the weakest. Danny sent Karl through, whose performance didn't really set me alight, while Jessie opted for Ash, who did well with Beyonce's Sweet Dreams but I think can do better.

The one that got away - best performance that didn't make it through was Trevor (Team Jessie), who was awesome, losing out to Sarah, who I again found too screechy. Danny, sadly, never got into his stride. Tom and the other coaches were a little perplexed, because Trevor was That Awesome, with a fantastic song choice delivered perfectly.

Revelation of the night was Alex (Danny's steal) who I actually preferred to Andrea and Abi. His lower register was actually quite lovely, although he did most in the falsetto - but he was in tune this time! It was always going to be Andrea though, the emotional response she induces in Danny (blubbing like a baby) sending her through. Connor's energy wasn't enough to counter the power of Mitchel, sent through to join Andrea and Karl, though Sean ran him close, his version of Ain't No Sunshine the best I've heard him.

Jessie's other group was just as tough, Lovelle's lovely tone and unusual vocal not enough to oust Matt, who was just On It. Letitia was more confident but the vocal lacked a little something. My fave, Jamie (Team Tom), lost out to Alys, but no complaints because her voice too is wonderful. Cherelle gave her best performance, although lost her way a little halfway through.

And we lost one of the Medway boys, as Adam was up against Joseph and Ragsy in Team Tom's other battle. All three were excellent but Joseph has that special indefinable something and duly made it through.

Disappointment of the night was losing Moni, who only had to repeat his rehearsal for Will to put him through. But he went over the top, and Leanne's stunning vocal gave her the nod. Jordan was terrific too, and a close third. Cleo was succesful over Lem and John - although, had Jessie not intervened, I think Will may have put Lem through. He has a special quality too, although  enjoyed Cleo's scatting.

The Teams:
Tom - Alys, Mike and Joseph
Jessie - Ash, Sarah and Matt
Danny - Andrea, Karl and Mitchel
Will - Leah, Cleo and Leanne. He can at least call them all together at once: Cleahanne.

The remnants of my nine, sadly reduced to a measly four: Ash, Joseph, Leah and Cleo.

The live quarter final is this Friday at 7pm. If you want to re-live the knockout performances, you'll find them all here.

The Voice: Battles Weekend 2

It's all very well having a mammoth two hour show, but with the cutting out of all the non-essential chit chat (I know, I told them to do that) I'm watching with crossed legs ...

Travesty of the night was Alex getting through, where other much better voices didn't. What was Danny thinking? But with four acts leaving from each team next week, I guess it won't make much difference. I'll just hope my nine are among the twelve left standing: Abi; Adam; Ash; Lem; Jamie: Joseph; Leah; Cleo and Moni.

Team Danny went from hosting four of mine to just one - and unless Abi can be more commanding on stage, she won't last. He chose Mitchel over Ricardo, Abi over Laura, Sean over Paul and Karl over Nadeem. Mitchel deserved it, much as I'd have like to hear more from Ricardo. Laura I really enjoyed but want to see how far they can push the Ragga with Abi. Paul for me was just more exciting than Sean, while Nadeem's tone was so lovely and his vocal so pure, against the boy-bandish sound of Karl.

Team Tom were all fantastic and apart from Joseph v Diva really could have gone any way. A lovely country love story from Emma Jade and Mike saw Mike just get the nod, while Alys's more unusual voice took her through over Lareena. Ragsy and Colin were excellent, light and shade and really strong - I thought Colin might nick it but no, Ragsy got the vote. Diva are wonderful but Joseph just outshone them.

So far, so strong - Tom and Danny nail the song choices for their acts to bring out the best in them. If only we could say the same for Jessie and Will!

Mary J Blige, Jessie? Really - lots of attitude needed but Alex was merely annoying and Letitia intimidated. Never really got going. Letitia the far better vocally and Jessie puts her through - leaving Will and Danny to fight over Alex??! It's just ... weird. On the other hand/complete opposite end of the scale/and other cliches - Trevor versus Lem was bloody awesome, with a fantastic song choice they clearly both relished: Soul Man. Super epic battle, Trevor put through; Lem stolen by Will. Eventually. Jeez, Will, take your time!

Will, for some inexcusable reason, gave Liam and John the Phil Collins/Philip Bailey song, Easy Lover. The other coaches shared my *eek* at that. I couldn't choose between them, due to the screechyness. John is taken through; Jessie upset she can't steal Liam. Who I didn't take to, really, after initially liking him. Will made up for it with Emily v Moni which was another barnstormer and could have gone either way. The performance of Moni gets it - Emily's an artist, I'm sure she'll do well.

You can see all the battles on the website. The first of the knockout rounds airs at 8.30pm on Saturday; the second at 7.15pm on Sunday. Each act gets to choose their own 'killer' song they hope will see them through. Till then :)

The Voice: Battles Weekend 1

There were the epic ones, the so-so ones and a couple that made you want to gauge out your ears with a spoon.

In the epic category was Jamie versus LB - plus the added bonus in rehearsal of Tom showing his mastery, with the U2/BB King song When Love Comes To Town. Both compelling performers, LB sweet but Jamie's power just edged it for me. Three coaches plumped for LB but the man that mattered - Tom - chose Jamie: "I think I can see something that the other coaches can't." And then no-one stole LB, sadly.

Also at battle standard was Matt versus Jordan, with the dreaded Stevie Wonder Song of Death - doing a fabulous job with my samba song, Do I Do. Matt much more comfortable on stage - love the slide- Jordan so controlled vocally. Coaches split, Will takes Jordan through and Jessie steals Matt: "I have him nooow!"

Ash versus Adam was another power performance, but with a beautiful James Morrison song I Won't Let You Go, allowing them to both saaaannng, as Jessie would say. A close decision, won by Ash but with Danny already saying he would steal - Tom is chosen by Adam though, as he's listened to his music most.

Last of the battles I really enjoyed saw Leah versus CJ, with The Way You Make Me Feel, their interplay and dynamic was great and charismatic though CJ is, Leah definitely has more potential overall, vocally. Will duly takes her through but we lose CJ.

Good performances with not much to choose between them saw Andrea triumph over Alice, her raw emotion giving her the decision; Leanne beat Barbara & Carla, who to be fair, none of the coaches knew what to do with, all three showing their fantastic range, albeit with karaoke favourite 'Hero'. The much improved Cherelle got Tom's vote over the the accomplished Elise, surprisingly not stolen. I loved the falsetto/rap combo of De'Vide but Danny was Jessie's pick. Lovelle and Nate didn't quite give me the goosebumps I was hoping for, with No Air, although mighty close. Lovelle was my choice, and it was she who Jessie put through. Conor just nicked it for me, up against duo Smith and Jones, all of whom though sounded lovely. Danny agreed but no-one stole the couple.

Over in the *my ears, my ears* corner, due to a couple of shocking song choices by Jessie and Will, respectively, was Sarah v Katie with Katy Perry's 'E.T' which was a god-awful dirge fest so bad, I left it to go and check on my spuds. Two good voices, thoroughly ruined. Sarah got the nod; Katie bravely criticised the song, thus ensuring no-one stole her. And as for Nu Tarna v Cleo ... jeez, it was a case 'Finally' when it ended. What a racket. The mouthy one in Nu-Tarna needs to learn that being loud and shouty doesn't = personality. Cleo did enough to justify Will's choice. I'll hope for better from her next time.

So my team has lost two and now stands at twelve: Abi; Nadeem; Paul; Ricardo; Adam; Ash; Lem; Jamie; Joseph; Leah; Cleo and Moni.

Catch all the clips on the website and don't think it's all gone to pot when you tune in this week - it's Eurovision. The Voice will be back the week after. Till then folks.

The Voice: Bring on the Battles!

All the teams are complete - especially mine, for which I've decided to ignore all the rules and have 14. Because I don't actually count, see, it's all just pretend!

Successfully through and who impressed me enough to swivel were Moni Tivony (Team Will), bravely going for Bob Marley and seriously impressing me and all four coaches - I reckon he could sing anything, really strong vocally; Abi Sempa, East meets West to great effect, thought her vocal simply lovely. Tom was twitching and finally Danny went. Good man - she completes his team. Gillingham lad, Joseph Apostol I thought would be Jessie all the way - his diction coupled with a beautiful voice saw her turn, but along with Tom - and Joe's mum's a big Tom fan ... he completes Team Tom. Jessie nabbed the other Medway lad, Chatham's Adam Barron, whose voice reminded me of a more gravelly Lou Rawls. The girlfriend needs to control herself though, really, that was a bit embarrassing. He won't die if he doesn't make it, chill out!

The ones I need to hear more of: CJ Edwards, the final auditionee and Will's last chance - I loved the hand claps at the start but I'm not sure how strong he is vocally, although he certainly has charisma. Letitia Grant-Brown (Team Jessie), controlled passion, quite raw, odd duff notes, impressively mature for a 17 year old. John Pritchard (Team Will) was quite different, I liked then I didn't then I did - didn't like the screechy ending.

The one that got away BIG TIME: Bronwen Lewis - a shame that Will and Jessie felt they had similar already, she had a lovely, original tone - Danny and Tom both upset they couldn't go.

The 'Nos': Adenike never hit the notes she needed due to nerves; Danny Foster (ex-Hearsay), although imaginatively reinventing a Spice Girls' song, and Jay Aston (ex-Bucks Fizz), just weren't vocally strong enough, while Brett Davison was far too boy-bandy. Others just not outstanding enough included Sophie Mendoza, Georgia Thursting, Julie Gordon, Rita Payne, Laine Hines and Rob Reynolds. The most gorgeous voice not to get through belonged to Gemma Louise Edwards, opera singer - but with an operatic duo already in his team and he the only coach with a spot left, Will just couldn't take her on.

So we're ready for the Battle Rounds! And this is where it can all get a bit canny, with The Twist! Acts the coaches were hankering after but didn't get could well be jettisoned by their existing coach, so will they pounce and steal someone at the expense of one of their own? These are the teams as they stand now, and my team is beyond complete: Abi; Nadeem; Paul; Ricardo; Adam; Ash, De'Vide; Lem; Jamie; Joseph; Carla&Barbara; Cleo; Leah; Moni.

Till next week :)

The Voice: Almost there ...

My team is nearing completion, as a few Soul Men made it on there tonight! And the show seems to be swinging along a lot quicker now, thank you PTB, with less chat and more audition time.

Builder and landscaper carpet fitting chef, Jamie Bruce got an oh, yes from me, with a voice like Galaxy silk - first time I've been quite moved. Sweet yet raw, powerful yet subtle, get in my team, you! Will or Tom? He seems like a Tom guy but ... yes, he joins Tom.

Ricardo Afonso (Team Danny) had a similar effect, all groovy and got the coaches rocking. He's got a lovely little kid too, and a touch of Hugh Jackman about him, so what's not to love. Oh, he's a West Ham fan too! Ah, no #hearingaidforDanny. And then up stepped Paul Carden, another strong but smooth more on the rock side of things, he also made Team Danny - I'd like to hear him really stretch himself.

And I would have loved to have heard more of De'Vide, the singer/rap duo; Jessie did hear enough and took them in, I'm happy to gamble. Jessie also turned (eventually) for Nate James, a name some of us knew. Like him but thought the song choice shocking and it nearly cost him. Will chose this audition to confirm that he is officially nuts.

Jordan Lee Davis brought forth a "Well, I wasn't expecting that!" So different and really deserved a shot - Will and Danny finally turned to give him it and Will nabbed him. And Tom took on the clearly talented but nervous-as-hell-so-she-missed-her-music-cue-on-a-really-dodgy-song-choice Cherelle Basquine. Great potential if she gets it right. And Tom also took Colin Chisholm, proper rock singer aiming for a second stab at fame, after a previously taste of it with the Bilbo Baggins Band. His voice certainly had a ring to it although I found it a bit middle-of-the-earth. But he certainly wasn't dwarfed by the other performers, although his hair is a bit of an elf and safety issue on its own. You can groan now.

The Yes But Nahs - there were quite a lot. Good, but didn't make me swivel: Sean Rumsey and Alice Barlow both impressed Danny sufficiently though, as Nutarna did Will. But the long haired one is getting on my nerves already. Lareena Mitchell had Tom written all over her. Really, they pinned her down and used marker pens all over, just so he got the hint. Ok, not really. And no, it's not Leanne Mitchell come back re-incarnated or anything.

The Nos: Contestant no-name we all thought was a girl was a boy who sadly went as flat as a three day old bottle of lemonade with the top off. Katie Evans, not strong enough; Gemma Marshall, we just didn't hear enough; Eva Iglesias (any relation, we wonder?) shouty club singer; Em Brulee. Seriously. If everyone she knows isn't calling her Crem then clearly this nation has lost its sense of humour. Ant Henson, weak; Cassie Chan, again not enough heard and Gill Forster, good but we've heard similar before.

The Ones That Got Away - I was willing the coaches to turn for these, thought they had great voices and sounded original: Charlie Ryan, who they thought was two people, such was his range; Aret Kapetanovic was way better and different from some they've put through, so I was pretty shocked no-one turned. I disagree with Tom that you should sing how you look - you should be yourself and have your own style in both. Wear what you wear, sing what you sing - who wants to be labelled?

Only seven spots remain now - Danny and Tom just one place left in their teams, Jessie with two and Will with three. See them all here. I've added Jamie Bruce, Ricardo Afonso, De'Vide and Paul Carden to Nadeem, Ash, Lem, Carla&Barbara, Cleo and Leah, leaving me just two spots.

Did you play the Predictor game last week? I did and got five out of six correct, so I'm feeling rather smug - I may even do it again. Till next time :)

The Voice: Biker Chic

"There is a bit of a rebellion happening right now with you guys coming on a show like this, but you have to do that to educate the youth on the importance of classical music and real singing."

So said Will, the only coach absolutely confident in taking on opera pairing Barbara and Carla. That, and he promised that in his team, they would always match jackets! He turned on the first notes of The Flower Duet, and for me this is the first genuine exciting combination of artists and coach - it'll be great to see what he does with them and how versatile they can be while retaining their essence. Beautiful, pure vocals, a lovely dynamic between them - all four coaches turned.

The 'No's - Alice Fredenham was 'safe', nice enough but not strong enough, didn't let go. Plus, too much preening and talking. Nick Tatum I think I recalled from the Tourette's programme a while back, where sufferers put on a concert, and I was willing him on. Sadly, the wrong song choice - he'd have been through if the second song counted. Tom Gregory and Laura Prescott were definitely nots. David Kidd was much better as Tom Jones than himself. I did love the woman throwing her knickers at him, complete with shop label still attached! Jessica Steel, after not impressing me personally (a reason why those VTs need to go) really impressed me, especially taking on a song like Don't You Want Me, a brave choice and great interpretation - I was sorry none of them turned.

The 'Yes But No Buts' - Just the one, Sarah Cassidy (Team Jessie) was a bit too screechy for me. And the 'Yes's were all good, but didn't blow me away: Emily Worton, the "middleaged librarian" (her words) I thought Danny would turn for, but it was Will; LV Robinson was very natural and ended up in Team Tom. Laura Oakes seemed too quiet to begin with but grew into it and will be in Team Danny. Likewise, when Karl Michael hit his stride, all four turned for him. It was Danny who got him.

Each team is now at least halfway full - check them out on the website here. My team consists of: Nadeem Leigh; Ash Morgan; Lem Knights; Carla & Barbara; Cleo Higgins and Leah McFall.

Till next time :)

The Voice: Cleo comin' atcha

What a stunning audition! Cleo Higgins (Team Will) just leapt to the top of my team with a fantastic, all round performance: personality, voice, attitude and also just came across as jolly nice! And anyone who can take on a Beyonce song and make it her own, well - THIS is what this show (and all the others) is actually about! I've watched it another four times since. Can't wait to see what she does next.

So it was a case of "follow that (if you can)" for the rest of them. The Nos: Barry James Thomas, a rocker with a good voice that wasn't different enough; Emma Louise Jackson, another fine voice but the karaoke song choice did her no favours, neither did the Hi De Hi persona. Amy Wilkinson I thought a bit flat and weak; Buble-a-like, nice tone but nothing else; Tartan Guy - eek!

Of the 'Yes's' there's none I thought a bit dodgy. The northern lasses, Diva, chose well, a Barbra Streisand song showing them off. Lots of flirting and fun followed, with them choosing Tom over Jessie. Michael Emms  (Team Danny) was another rock singer, stronger vocal and a performer; Elise Evans had them all turning following her strong audition and chose with her heart (Team Tom). Conor Scott (Team Danny) impressed with Starry Eyed, different but recognisable, think he may need to work on his breathing.

But for Cleo, Leah McFall would've been my favourite tonight. Unique, great tone and quirkyness, liked her a lot. She chose Will, even though he confused the hell out of her going on about ducks. Lovelle Hill is another with a silky tone and crafted notes I really liked - Jessie got her, and Lem Knight, almost stalkerish Jessie fan, was rewarded when Jessie turned for him too. Another unique talent. They really slung some unusual, awesome stuff together tonight. Here's link to the clips, so you can enjoy them again! I played the Predictor game too -  luckily for them, it's already been decided, otherwise I'd have put the mockers on them. Till next time x

The Voice: Not The Age. Or The Appearance.

Exactly - it's not about age or appearance, so why, when the coaches don't turn for The Voice, they regret it on finding out The Age or liking The Appearance. And we're getting sob stories! Stop it, stop it NOW! Before it's too late.

Because, I have to be honest - no-one is setting it alight right now. The first line from Trevor Francis (Team Jessie) got me, but as it went on the voice didn't go where I expected it to, so he's in the 'Through but need to hear again' category. Likewise, Emma Jane Garbutt (Team Tom), dipped in and out but a lot of potential. Smith & Jones Katie (isn't she just the spitting image of Charlotte Scally from SYTYCD Series 2?)& Harry harmonized well, though Katie was clearly the stronger. It'll be interesting to see what they can do as part of Team Danny.

Those I swivelled for (but still not completely blown away) Nadeem Leigh - perfect for Danny, a quiet emotive voice and there were some goosebumps. Alys Williams, an unusual voice, and again, I thought Danny, but she stayed loyal to her Welsh roots ... eventually (like, 3 weeks later) and went with Tom. I preferred the lower register of Liam Tamne (Team Will) and though the falsetto was great, I hope we don't get it all the time. He could be a favourite but for that. Ragsy brought food as well as a nice voice, so that's a yes from me and he joins Team Tom.

The Yes But No Buts: Alex Buchanan. Really? All four? What were they thinking? From where I was he was so completely out of tune all through, it was painful! I was in the kitchen but still ... He chose Jessie.

The coaches said 'No' to ex-Soul To Soul girl Kim Mazelle - wrong song, never able to let loose, sadly. And to Mick Dixon, who began too weakly, should have built it and stayed there. But he's the youngster they got hung up on, so plenty of time. Sam Hollyman was a bit breathy and not particularly musical, while Lorraine Crosby has lost a bit since the heady days of Meatoaf success.

I'm going to say it again before I get to the point of Not Watching - speed it up, show more auditionees, the yesses and the nos er ..ses, and cut out all the baggage beforehand. Seriously, Mr/s Producer, I'm not even joking ...

The Voice is back!

The Voice boomed back on stage last night, with all four coaches performing a goosebump-raising rock'n'roll medley to warm us up.

A slight variation on the Blind Auditions as we had the drawn out VT for each performer - note to Beeb: Noooooooooooo. Please, shorten them; show us more auditions. We liked that it wasn't X-Factor last year so don't turn it into it this year! I want to judge on their voices but already I was biased towards the community arts worker and the Dogs Trust guy.

But I still like that it's a two way thing - some performers are less nervous through being on a level playing field, while the coaches look a little apprehensive not knowing what to expect.

Those I (metaphorically) swivelled for: Ash Morgan, there was one particularly sweet note, after Jessie had turned, that made me say "Ooh, yes!" Quite raw but I like that. Tom played the Welsh card, but Jessie gets him. Matt Henry, the Will.i.am-alike. Gorgeous voice. Passionate, animated. Clever Jessie almost stole him, with her: "What was the main lyric (in your song)?" "I've been saved by a woman," replies Matt. "There you go," she says. But he chooses long lost twin, Will.

The Yes But No Buts: Danny County (Team Jessie) Different but I'm not sure about the strength of his vocal. Leanne Jarvis (Team Will) Great voice but have heard similar before. Jessie reminds her she turned around first - but Will says he turned cooler! Mike Ward (Team Tom) - wasn't expecting C&W, after a VT that implied he'd be rapping. Personally his voice didn't appeal and he didn't finish his words off either, which annoyed me. And the drawn out decision. It's recorded for crying out loud, there's just no need. We're not going anywhere. But we might if you keep doing that.

The ones I need to hear again: Andrea Begley (Team Danny), the Irish songstress, an emotional performance and as Danny said: "From the first line, the mood just changed in the room." Katie Benbow (Team Jessie) had a lovely tone to her voice but clearly no idea how to use it, she completely flummoxed me, as she did Jessie. I'm glad she got through - she could be amazing if they get it right.

The ones who didn't make it: Louis Coupe just didn't have the range but they made his night by asking him to perform Jerry Lee Lewis; you'd have thought from the family reaction that he'd made it through! Only 16, so plenty of time and already written a musical! Kirsty Crawford's voice dropped in and out - less nerves may have just tipped her through, even if she was channelling Bo Bruce's wardrobe. And Anthony Kavanagh found that the music industry demands have moved on since his days of covering Shalamar.

I loved that some of the performers took a gamble and didn't make the obvious coaching choice, and I was about to hate the extended  coaches VT, but Will's was actually very entertaining, so I'm letting them off. But careful, Auntie - there was a hell of a lot of padding, don't push us.

Other than that, the camaraderie is still there and I'm found myself smiling, so this following The Doctor is a good mix for a Saturday night. Unseen footage and the predictor game can be found on the website. Till next time x