As we move past the battle rounds, things at The Voice Australia are starting to heat up, and now the four big names of the mentors have been revealed….
Each season, the mentors play the important role of helping the judges mentor their teammates and the relationship between both judge and mentor and contestant and mentor becomes a hugely important one.
This year, the mentor line-up includes a one-time judge, a second timer, an Aussie icon, and a platinum-selling pop star…
Team Kylie – Kirk Pengilly
It’s Kylie Minogue’s first judging experience, and she’s chosen to enlist the help of one of the members of Australia’s most iconic bands, and a man with over three decades of experience in the industry — Kirk Pengilly of INXS fame.
Kylie and Kirk have known each other for many years, ever since Kylie dated INXS frontman Michael Hutchence for two years, so the pair have good synergy and a strong understanding of the Aussie music industry.
Pengilly told Fairfax Media he hopes his part in the show will make a point about longevity, saying, “It’s a great sort of springboard instantly into a public following, but what’s most important is what they do after and how they utilize it and make the most of that opportunity.”
Team Ricky – Havana Brown
It seems Ricky loves his ladies of pop! The latino superstar last year enlisted the help of Jessica Mauboy, and this year has asked blonde bombshell Havana Brown for support with his team. Havana has had four consecutive number one singles on the US Billboard Club chart, as well as multiple platinum-selling hits in Australia including recent hit ‘Warrior’ which the coaches performed on The Voice just last week.
Team will.i.am – apl.de.ap
Think you haven’t heard of apl.de.ap? Think again. This talented Philippines-born star is will.i.am’s best friend and one of The Black Eyed Peas.
The pair have quite a history together; when Apl.de.ap moved to the US in 1999 after being adopted by the roommate of will.i.am’s uncle, the pair met and instantly formed a bond. Soon after they formed a dance group that eventually evolved to being signed to Easy E and then became The Black Eyed Peas.
Apl.de.ap (born Allan Pineda Lindo) is no stranger to The Voice either; he was a coach on The Voice in the Philippines and told Fairfax, “When you’re a coach you get to be technical all the time, now I get to ask about their lofe stories, their struggles, who they are doing this for, their motivations…”
Team Joel – Megan Washington
Megan Washington is back for another stint after mentoring alongside Keith Urban in 2012, but this time the Aussie songstress will be working with Joel Madden. The star told Fairfax of her support for the format saying, “Regardless of your opinion of the worth of reality television, it’s been around for 10 years now and is an established, valid platform, if you want to start that way.”
The battle rounds for The Voice conclude tonight, and the mentoring episodes will kick off Sunday when the singers start to move through the showdown phase of the competition where three singers on each team will perform head to head with their coach deciding who is directed to the finals, who goes home, and who must sing to be saved.
Image: The Daily Mail
