The Voice UK is retooling its bench. ITV has locked in a fresh lineup for the upcoming season of its long-running music competition, bringing in Grammy-winning performer Kelly Rowland to sit alongside returning coaches will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, and McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
Rowland, who made her mark as part of Destiny’s Child and has logged talent show stints on both sides of the Atlantic, steps into the UK version’s iconic red chair for the first time. She replaces Anne-Marie, whose departure clears space for a big-name boost as ITV looks to inject new energy into the format.
Filming gets underway this summer, with airdate details still under wraps. Emma Willis is back as host.
This season’s winner will walk away with a record deal under Universal Music Group, a £50,000 cash prize, and a holiday to Universal Studios Resort in Florida—a prize package that leans heavier into branding than in previous years.
The series continues to be produced by Lifted Entertainment (a division of ITV Studios), which also handles global distribution. Execs on both the network and production sides are bullish about Rowland’s arrival, pointing to her track record mentoring emerging talent on formats like The X Factor USA and The Voice Australia.
No shake-up to the format itself has been announced, but this marks the first time the show has fielded a five-chair coaching lineup since its UK launch in 2012.
