The Voice UK: Jay’s cozy friendship with shows vocal coach
The Voice UK hopeful Jay Norton has been accused of getting special treatment after it emerged that he was friends with one of the show’s vocal coaches.
Jay appeared on the third blind auditions show at the weekend and won over coaches Will.I.Am and Sir Tom Jones with his rendition of Aloe Blacc’s ‘I Need A Dollar’.
However, a report in the Mirror suggests that other contestants on the BBC talent show were annoyed when they discovered that Norton was friends with one of the programme’s vocal experts Juliet Russell.
A source told the paper that Russell’s understanding of the show had given Norton an “advantage” over the other contestants.
The BBC have insisted that Norton was given no special treatment and that lots of staff on the show had worked in recruiting contestants.
Norton has worked with Russell in the past in the group Sense of Sound, which appeared in BBC talent show Last Choir Standing.
Russell tweeted support for the singer over the weekend, writing: “The wonderful Jay Norton is onThe Voice tomorrow at 7pm, he’s supratalentado and I love him!”
After his audition aired, she added: “I need a Jay, a Jay, a Jay is what a need, Stellar darlink! Proud of you xxxx. [sic]”