Who are The Voice UK 2016 judges? – CONFIRMED: Paloma Faith and Boy George Join Series 5 Coaches Line-up

The Voice UK 2016 Judges Line-up and News: Two brand-new Series 5 coaches revealed.

Who are The Voice UK 2016 judges going to be?

UPDATE: On Friday the 14th of August, 2015, The Voice series 5 coaches were officially confirmed as Boy George, Paloma Faith, will.i.am and Ricky Wilson.

Pictured above: New 2016 coaches Paloma Faith and Boy George.

With the blind auditions due to start filming later this year, Culture Club singer Boy George and retro diva Paloma Faith will replace Welsh legend Tom Jones and new X Factor judge Rita Ora. With the surprising announcement that Sir Tom would not be returning to the show, Will now becomes the only remaining coach from the original line-up.

Following the announcement, Boy George told the BBC “I’m thrilled and excited to be a coach on The Voice UK. . . What a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences and help someone move forward with their musical career. I can’t wait to sit in that chair!”

Paloma Faith added: “I have a long history of helping break artists as in my club nights I booked Kate Nash, Adele, and The Noisettes before they hit the big time, and four of my band members have gone on to pursue successful solo careers. I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into something that cultivates the talents of another person and takes the focus off myself for a bit.” End of update.

Previous News and Speculation

What We Know For Sure

Following just one season as a Voice UK coach, Rita Ora has already ruled herself out of the 2016 competition in about the most emphatic way possible. In June 2015 the 24-year-old singer was officially named as one of the four X Factor UK 2015 judges, joining Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and fellow newbie Nick Grimshaw. Following Ora’s snub of The X Factor last year in favour of its BBC rival, it appears Simon’s now finally got his way.

Speculation

Whoever the BBC select to replace Rita, they’ll become the shows fourth different female coach in four series. Seasons 1 and 2 featured Jessie J, followed by Kylie Minogue in 2014 and Miss Ora in 2015.

Reigning champ Ricky Wilson even cast doubt over his possible return during a recent interview. Speaking to NME, the Kaiser Chiefs singer stated “I haven’t heard from The Voice. . . I don’t know if I’d do it again, maybe.” Though neither confirming or denying a role for himself as a 2016 judge, Wilson hardly came across as enthusiastic about another run.

So could we see Jessie J or Danny O’Donoghue return to The Voice, or will BBC One look to some fresh faces to shake things up? Two stars who seem to fit the bill quite well are Joss Stone and Paloma Faith. Both well respected artists, it’s not hard to imagine either one of these divas sat in that big red chair.

Since The Voice UK first came to our screens back in 2012, the two names we’ve always been able to rely on are Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am. There from the start and sharing one series victory each, it’s hard to imagine the programme without either of these musical giants. What little credibility The Voice UK has so far been able to command is in no small part down to the presence of Tom and Will. Despite this, right now neither star has been officially confirmed as a Voice 2016 judge.

In an effort to temporarily shift the spotlight away from their ITV rivals, don’t be surprised to see The Voice UK 2016 coaches revealed one by one shortly after The X Factor 2015 starts. We’ll update this page with the latest news as it’s released in the coming months.