The Voice Australia has captivated fans with yet another uplifting season in 2023. As the talented singers compete to win the title, our four superstar coaches are enjoying the show – and a few secrets – in their big red chairs.
We caught up with coaches Jessica Mauboy, Jason Derulo, Rita Ora and Guy Sebastian to find out all the best behind-the-scenes secrets from this season of The Voice.
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Jessica Mauboy: “I was in tears for days”
Jessica Mauboy faced one of the hardest moments of her Voice coaching career when she had to farewell her own mentors, the Bushwackers.
Dobe Newton and Roger Corbett opted to leave the show, saving their coach, Jess, from having to decide between moving them or powerhouse vocalist Ezra Williams into the next round.
The announcement saw Jess break down in tears, and our sources say she was a “complete wreck” for a few days after, “as what happened really sunk in”.
Jess, 34, describes the Bushwackers as being “family”. Thanking them for their guidance and support, she explained: “I have a connection with these two, it goes way back to when I was about 14 years old. I won a country music competition; I didn’t think I would make it really; I will never ever forget that.”
Jason Derulo: “I’ll do anything to win”
With the finals inching closer, Jason Derulo says he’s going to “come out swinging” to take home the trophy.
And the US-based singer, who turns 34 this week, seems more than happy to throw the rule book out the window in order to emerge victorious.
“I didn’t come all this way to be a loser,” a determined Jason confirms.
Already, we’ve seen Jason go rogue during the Ultimate Callbacks.
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Unable to decide between Callum Warrender and Alex Jeans, Jason told host Sonia Kruger he wanted to take both into The Battles. Producers agreed, much to the shock of the other coaches and viewers.
Then, he tried creating a supergroup out of Callum, Alex and Andrew Taylor Knight to send into the semi-final, although the trio ultimately rejected his offer.
Despite his win-at-all-costs attitude, Jason still expects his team to work hard – just like he did. He was 12 when he met his first manager, and tirelessly tried getting a foot in the door.
“I auditioned day in, day out and had so many doors shut in my face until one day I got a yes”, Jason says. “I never gave up.” As a young boy, Guy found solace in music.
Guy Sebastian: “The song that saved me”
Guy Sebastian has given some rare insight into his childhood. Born in Malaysia in 1981, Guy’s family moved to Australia when he was six.
A year before their arrival, Bruce Woodley of the Seekers and Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers had released I Am Australian, and Guy, 41, says he would sing the song whenever kids were picking on him for being “different” and making him feel like he didn’t “fit in”.
“I had a Malaysian accent, my culture was pretty different. (But) I’m an Aussie … that’s my childhood,” says Guy, now a dad of two. “We are multicultural here – there are so many different types of Aussie.
“There’s not a worse feeling than feeling like you’re an Aussie then someone tells you, you are not,” Guy adds.
Rita Ora: “My battle with anxiety”
Despite her pop star status, Rita Ora admits she still gets “very nervous” when she performs. In fact, she vomited backstage at the 2015 Oscars due to her anxiety, just as she was due on stage!
Rita, 32, was singing Grateful from the movie Beyond the Lights, which had been nominated for Best Original Song.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Rita recalls. “It’s the Oscars … I’ve been watching (them) since I was a kid. My nerves genuinely took over. Two seconds before I went out, I threw up.
“I remember looking out at the crowd and the lights just went
on me and I just closed my eyes and I sang. All I remember is my legs going like that (shaking).
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“I can’t watch the performance back to this day because it brings back all of those feelings.”
During this season we’ve seen Rita share her personal tricks for dealing with anxiety with several contestants, one of which is sound healing.
“I do it every year. My sister and I go away and we just lie next to these vibrations. I’m not even joking, it changes your whole body,” the British singer explained.
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