Will.i.am has reportedly gone on a rant about the number of “joke acts” auditioning for The Voice.
The 40-year-old singer has been the only mentor to survive all four series of the show. But 2016 may well be his last appearance if he fails to discover any serious talent.
An inside source told The Sun: "Will was clearly unimpressed with some of the acts who he felt weren't serious. By the end of the session, he was really annoyed.
"He kept saying to people in his entourage, 'I don't want this show to be a joke but these acts are only here for a joke.'
"He takes the show very seriously, which is just one of the reasons he is such a good coach and mentor for the contestants. But he obviously didn't believe in the singers he was hearing, so for the most part, his chair remained facing the back wall and he was not happy afterwards."
New judges Boy George and Paloma Faith join Will.i.am and veteran Ricky Wilson on this year’s panel before the show flips to ITV.
With its future in the balance, let’s hope The Voice can produce a success story like The X Factor’s One Direction or Leona Lewis.
At the series launch, Will said: “You need proper timing in the market for people. Nowadays it is so much noise and you have to stay at it.
“When you ask, ‘Have we found a superstar yet?’ — we will, it’s just going to take time.
“Just like it took time for this show to be Number One.”