So, have you heard these Voices before? Parade of former stars and reality show rejects hit our screens

By Paul Revoir and Liz Thomas
PUBLISHED: 21:22, 30 March 2012 | UPDATED: 21:23, 30 March 2012

It may be a brand new talent show, but viewers of The Voice can be forgiven for thinking they have seen some of the acts before.
In fact, the BBC’s much-hyped Saturday night series appears to be a parade of former stars and reality show rejects.
Five of the 11 contestants in tonight’s episode have already had their shot at stardom – including a Brit award winner.
Denise Pearson, 43, first found fame with Five Star, whose hits included Rain or Shine, System Addict and The Slightest Touch.
The five siblings from Essex had a number-one album – the million-selling Silk and Steel – and were named Best British Group at the 1987 Brit Awards.



One TV insider said: ‘If they are looking for new talent then it does seem a bit odd they are going for people that have already been stars. It seems a bit desperate.
‘If you are giving Denise Pearson a platform, what is the point of the show?’

Miss Pearson’s appearance follows that of Sean Conlon in The Voice’s first episode. Conlon, 30, was previously in boy band 5ive, who had three number-one singles and four top-ten albums at the turn of the millennium.
Last week’s show also included Aundrea Nyle, 36, who has been a backing singer for stars including P Diddy, and Jessica Hammond, 17, who had previously auditioned twice for the X Factor.
Toni Warne, 34, who went through to the next round after singing Leave Right Now, won another reality show, Opportunity Knocks, three times in the 1980s.
She released her first single, a cover of the Michael Jackson hit Ben, at the age of nine after appearing on the show, then fronted by Bob Monkhouse. When she reached her twenties, alopecia left her with no hair and little confidence – but the show’s judges were charmed by her performance of a song made famous by another reality show winner, Will Young.
Tonight’s contestants include Kerry Ellis, a West End musical star who has appeared in Wicked and My Fair Lady. She has also been a mentor on musical-based BBC talent shows Over The Rainbow and I’d Do Anything.
The episode will feature an array of failed X Factor contestants, too. Vince Kidd, 22, was part of boy band Futureproof, who got to the final 12 of the ITV show in 2007.
The group was made up of contestants who had failed to make the grade as solo performers.
Barbara Bryceland, 47, made it to the bootcamp stage of the X Factor in the same year. Heshima Thompson, 25, had two goes at the ITV talent show, in 2009 and 2011. A former backing singer for Amy Winehouse, he has also appeared in Spooks, The Bill, Prime Suspect and EastEnders spin-off E20.
One hopeful that won’t be shown tonight is Alison Jiear, after her audition was edited out. The 47-year-old is a former backing singer for Sir Tom Jones – one of The Voice’s four judges.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The Voice is purely about talent, not image, history or background.
‘The only criteria for entrants is that they must not be under a current recording contract.’
The Voice, an import from the U.S. that is said to be costing the BBC £22million, secured 2.4million more viewers than Britain’s Got Talent in the 20 minutes that the shows overlapped for last weekend – but BGT’s average rating of 9.4million beat The Voice’s 8.4million.


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