The Voice Kids makes a welcome return to ITV, this time as a Christmas TV highlight, and there's an exciting new addition to the superstar coaching panel for this series as Brit award-winning pop icon Melanie C joins as a brand-new coach alongside familiar faces Danny Jones, will.i.am and Pixie Lott. Emma Willis is back hosting the new series where young singers, aged from seven to 14, take to the stage in a bid to impress the star coaching panel and get those big red chairs turning.
"It was just so great to see everyone again!" says Emma Willis. "It feels like forever ago we were together and working on the last series so to be reunited with everyone was just a real joy. Plus, it was brilliant to welcome Mel C to the coaching panel. She’s a real firecracker and has slotted into the Voice Kids family so well."
This promises to be a very Christmassy fifth series with Santa and snow, sleigh rides and presents galore filling our screens. So here's what we can tell you so far about The Voice Kids on ITV this Christmas...
'The Voice Kids' Christmas air date
The Voice Kids season 5 will be shown over three episodes on ITV over the 2021 Christmas TV season, starting on Monday Dec. 27 at 7.30pm, then Tuesday Dec. 28 at 7.30pm with the final episode on Wednesday Dec. 29 at 8pm. The three episodes will then become available on streaming service ITV Hub. We haven't yet heard if the series is to get a worldwide release date.
Melanie C on joining 'The Voice Kids' for Christmas
Spice Girl Melanie C is very excited to join The Voice Kids: "I’ve always been a huge fan of The Voice UK so I am super excited to be a coach on The Voice Kids this year," she says. "I can’t wait to get in one of those big red chairs and Spice things up!"
"I love the show, I watch, I’m always blown away by the kids and I’ve always loved the Coaches and the dynamic between them all. So, when I was asked, I was over the moon. And I have to say that the experience has actually completely surpassed my expectations in every way. I’ve fallen in love with everybody who works on the show and the children have impressed me in so many ways."
Mel of course gets to sing with the other coaches. "I absolutely love singing with everybody. It’s so much fun. I think having the opportunity to work with them and just chatting on set and talking about the kids. You know they’ve taught me so much about how to get through the different stages of the show and how to mentor the kids but then getting to do what we all do and all love on stage together is really special."
Melanie Chisholm, aka Mel C, was of course one fifth of the mega successful Spice Girls who had hits upon hits, plus sell out tours around the world. She's gone on to have solo singing success too with hit singles and albums, plus she's made a name for herself on stage, particularly as Mary Magdalene in an arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, having appeared as a judge on the ITV talent show Superstar in 2011.
Mel is 47, and is mum to a daughter Scarlet. She was competing on Dancing With The Stars this fall in the US (it's the American version of Strictly) partnering former Strictly Come Dancing pro Gleb Savchenko. But there was a shock and the pair were eliminated in October after their 'Grease Night' performance.
Danny Jones on 'The Voice Kids' at Christmas
McFly's Danny Jones says: ''It's great to be getting going on another series of The Voice Kids and I'm chuffed to have Melanie C joining the gang. Every year when I think the talent can't be topped I find myself blown away by the new up and coming kids. I'm looking forward to discovering some brand new little superstars, it's also a mission of mine to catch up with Pixie’s winning streak.
"I just can’t describe the talent this year. Without wanting to sound clichéd - I’m not normally lost for words but there are a couple of battles where I felt so overwhelmed, so blown away. I felt I had so many things to say about them but I just couldn’t get them all out. I had so much to say it almost made me panic! I was both trying to control my reaction and trying to tell them how amazing they are. My ears couldn’t believe what they’d just witnessed. What is also amazing about it is that you can’t tell the age difference. It’s almost getting to the point where I’m jealous of them all because they’re too good! I’ve said to them stop being so good! The level is just going up and up and up… Each year does always seem to be even better."
Pixie Lott on 'The Voice Kids' at Christmas
Reigning champion coach Pixie Lott said: "It's great to be heading back into the studio for a new series of The Voice Kids. I am the biggest Spice Girls fan, they were the first concert I ever went to, so it's such a thrill to have Melanie C joining the show too, upping the level of girl power even more!
"I’m so happy with my team, over the moon. They’ve worked so hard and they sound incredible. Better than I ever hoped. I know that there are some amazing kids on the other teams as well so I’m excited to see what’s in store…I’ve got four lovely singers and the thing this year is that their voices are so distinctly different from one another. They all bring something completely different to the table. It’s going to be almost impossible to make a decision. I love them all for completely different reasons. It’s going to be a real tough one and I tend to overthink it beforehand but, when it comes to it, it will come down to whoever gives the best performance, whoever sings the best and goes through."
will.i.am on 'The Voice Kids' at Christmas
The Voice UK and The Voice Kids stalwart will.i.am says: “I’m looking forward to returning to my red chair and listening out for more kids with incredible voices. A big welcome to Melanie C this year, also known as Sporty Spice. What do you think of the nickname Coach Spice?
"It makes you realise that we should have been doing The Voice Kids around Christmas all the time. This show is super important in 2021 and it was for the adult Voice too. For a long time so many festivals were cancelled and concerts cancelled but The Voice and The Voice Kids were on. It’s great for the adults, it’s great for the kids, it’s great for the people at home to see live music. It’s great for the music lovers and music makers. It does bring so much joy which is what Christmas is about."
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