How do the Battle Rounds work on The Voice UK?
For the first time ever the coaches' chairs will keep spinning beyond the blind auditions – and it feels like viewers have won a little victory
Every year we all say the same thing: The Voice is boring when the chairs stop spinning. This year they’ve listened and the spinning chairs are sticking around for the next round of auditions, the Battles.
It feels like a little victory for viewers. A pat on the back that we were right all along. And it does add an extra bit of tension as the coaches must spin for a steal.
How do the Battle Rounds work?
Two acts from the same category come out and sing against each other. The coaches – Ricky Wilson, Paloma Faith, Boy George and will.i.am – all face them as they perform.
Their coach (whoever picked them from the Blind Auditions) decides which one of the two they want to keep in their team.
Then, in the new twist, the chairs spin back around - away from the remaining act - and the other three coaches have just a few seconds to decide if they want to twirl back around to steal them.
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They have two steals each, and if more than one coach spins then once again it's up to the act to decide which team they want to be on.
The whole thing leads to a lot of begging.
First the act begs to stay, and then their current coach runs along the chairs yelling ‘PLEASE STEAL THEM’, which in any other situation would seem rather odd.
There’s a bit of a whooshing noise as the time runs out. My only criticism would be that they could make this sound effect a bit more dramatic. A bit more ‘Countdown’ if you will.
But the increased spinning does give the Battles an extra boost. And, of course, another dollop of that deliciously awkward moment when nobody turns. If that happens then they’re out, for good.
Once this is done and dusted for all four teams we’ll be on to the Knockouts. It remains to be seen whether the chairs do anything else then. Spin faster, tip over backwards, dish out drinks…
When are The Voice UK 2016 Battle Rounds on TV?
Saturday 27 February, 7pm BBC1