After an action-packed week of blind auditions, battle rounds and a semi-final, on Saturday night the winner of The Voice Kids 2018 will be crowned. And host Emma Willis is glad her own children aren't in the running...
Emma Willis reveals what to expect from The Voice Kids final…
After a thrilling week of blind auditions, hard-fought battles and a nail-biting semi-final, the remaining six young singers will take to the stage on Saturday night for the grand final of The Voice Kids.
Up to now our singers have only had to impress the coaches: McFly star Danny Jones, singer-songwriter Pixie Lott and music producer and Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am. But now they must perform LIVE for the first time, for your votes!
With a £30,000 bursary towards a music career plus a family holiday to Disneyland Paris up for grabs, who will be crowned champion of The Voice Kids 2018?
Here, host Emma Willis, 42, tells us what to expect from the final night…
What's the atmosphere like at The Voice Kids final?
"It's an exciting day, and there's a real buzz around the place. Because it's live TV, and you never know what's going to happen, I do get a bit nervous – but it's equally as exciting as it is terrifying. Backstage with the contestants, I can just see this look in their eyes – I don't know if it's terror or nerves – and I really feel for them because I know this is the biggest moment of their lives."
The Voice Kids coaches Danny Jones, Pixie Lott and will.i.am are handing the power over to YOU!
What do these kids need to do at the final to make sure they win?
"You can't call it because it's all down to the public vote. You watch the singers all through the competition thinking: 'It's gonna be them, it's gonna be them'. But then, on the day, it can all change at the last minute. So there's no formula for what to do on the day apart from making the public like you. That's it!"
When it comes to having a career after the show, do you think kids these days are better equipped to deal with fame because of things like social media?
"For kids coming onto this show, it shouldn’t be about: 'I want to go on The Voice Kids and be famous' it should be about the experience. We've got to let kids be kids and protect them for as long as possible, so I don’t think we should be pushing them to want to be these megastars and have fame. I think we should just nurture the talent they have and make sure things happen at the right time and not too quickly."
How is Jess Folley doing since winning The Voice Kids last year?
"Jess is a great example of what I’m talking about. Jess is phenomenal and a proper little popstar yet we haven't heard anything from her or seen her in the press. She's got this amazing voice and maybe she's doing stuff musically but she's now back at school, so she's obviously very level headed and is going to just take her time and see what happens."
Emma with last year's winner of The Voice Kids, 14-year-old Jess Folley
Would you be happy for your own kids to audition for a show like this?
"My kids love this show and they're always asking: 'We can’t go on it can we, Mummy, because you work on it?' And I remind them: 'Yep, that's right!' My daughter Isabelle has got a really lovely tone to her voice but I don't know what she wants to be yet. She's keep telling me she's gonna move to LA with her cousin… she's nine!"
Are you almost relieved Isabelle can't audition for The Voice Kids?
"Yeah, I guess I am really because when I stand with all those parents and families backstage at the blind auditions, I say to every single one of them: 'Don't worry, it's fine, in the next two minutes it'll all be over’. But then I think, if that were my kid, I would literally be a nervous wreck! So, yeah, I see enough nervous parents to know I'd be exactly the same, so I'm glad I don't have to do it!"
The Voice Kids: The Grand Final can be seen on Saturday July 21 at 8pm on ITV.
