The Voice 2015 Semi-Finals: Eliminations, Tensions and A Judge With No Voice

It was a rollercoaster of a semi final on The Voice Australia last night, as we saw the elimination of crowd favourites, huge tension between mentors, and a mentor left in the lurch after the elimination of the last of their artists.

Source: Channel Nine

Before the eliminations kicked off, mentor Joel Madden correctly predicted the contestants who would make it through to the grand final, causing a quarrel amongst the other mentors.

In an attempt to settle the tension, co-host Sonia Kruger interrupted, ‘I feel like I’m at a Real Housewives reunion, stop it!’

Source: Channel Nine

‘Hey, hey, hey excuse me,’ mentor Delta Goodrem interjected, ‘I am very proud to say Lyndall deserves a spot in the grand finale… She has the voice, ease up tiger,’

Source: Channel Nine

‘Guys, do you really think Lyndall doesn’t deserve to be on that stage?’ Mentor Ricky Martin questioned.

Source: Channel Nine

‘I think Lyndall peaked tonight. That was her best performance to date,’ Joel explained, ‘But I think her voice and its capability…’ He trails off.

Lyndall Wennekes from NSW performed Jess Glynn’s song Hold My Hand last night, wearing a glamorous floor-length white beaded gown. The stripped back performance, arranged by the nineteen year-old, left the mentors visibly awe-struck.

Source: Channel Nine

‘I’ve ‘gotta bring my A Game and show I’m ready for the grand final’. Lyndall confessed.

But unfortunately the performance wasn’t enough to get her through to the grand final, and the young artist was left saying a teary farewell to the show and her mentor, Delta.

‘Thank you for taking the time to get to know me… And being a friend as well as a mentor,’ Lyndall said.

Delta’s other semi-finalist Caleb Jago-Ward, along with Jessie J’s Simi Vuata, also said goodbye on Sunday night after being eliminated in the first round of audience votes. With no remaining contestants, Delta’s status will shift from celebrity mentor to celebrity spectator at next week’s grand final.

Whilst Ricky Martin’s Naomi Price made it through the first round of eliminations, her performance of Abba’s The Winner Takes It All wasn’t quite enough to keep her in the game.

Source: Channel Nine

The thirty-one year-old took a moment to make an emotional speech after being eliminated, warning co-host Darren McMullen, ‘I have a three part speech, so don’t cut me off like Kanye did to Taylor Swift, OK Darren?’

‘Thank you for believing an artist can be more than someone who plays guitar’ Naomi told Ricky, fighting back tears.

Singer and musician Nathan Hawes performed a stripped back cover of James Vincent McMorrow’s Higher Love, taking him through to the second performance of the semi final, where he played Vance Joy’s track Fire And The Flood.

Source: Channel Nine

But it was Jessie James’ last contestant, sixteen year-old Ellie Drennan who stole the spotlight on the night. Performing with a guitar in hand for the first time in the series, Ellie played an acoustic cover of Katy Perry’s I Kissed A Girl.

Source: Channel Nine

‘I’m ‘gonna go home and play this song over and over and over’. Said Ricky, ‘You need to stay here.’

‘She could win,’ Joel added, ‘I wasn’t so into that song but your voice is so good and so interesting… You could sing the alphabet,’ he added, in reference to Seal’s famous comment.

‘You’re coaching the hell out of her, Jessie,’ Joel continued.

Ricky’s other contestant, Liam Mahi received a thunderous standing ovation for his stunning rendition of INXS’s Never Tear Us Apart, with Ricky stating that no other The Voice performer has been able to do justice to until now.

Source: Channel Nine

The show ended with the five mentors, Delta, Ricky, Joel, Benji and Jessie, and an extensive gospel choir taking to the stage for an astounding cover of The Beatles’ classic track, Let It Be. Jessie J also performed her newest single, Ain’t Been Done, with Benji Madden playing guitar beside her.