A controversial decision by The Voice judge Richard Marx has divided viewers after he sent three contestants home without selecting a single artist to advance to the Quarter Finals.
The unexpected decision came during the Knockout rounds, as the remaining artists battled head-to-head for places in the next stage of the competition.
Contestants performed individually in groups of three or four, with each coach usually selecting one singer to progress. Coaches also had one save available, allowing them to rescue a defeated artist from another team.
But when Marx’s final Knockout group featuring Dicko, Cherry Green and Saem Millward and finished their performances, the judge opted not to select any of them.
“I don’t feel like any of you rose to the occasion,” Marx said.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to do this, but I’m not going to take any of you.”
The decision left host Sonia Kruger, the live audience and the other coaches stunned, with Ronan Keating admitting he had never seen anything like it during his time as a judge on the show.
“I’ve done The Voice for 15 years around the world and I’ve never seen this before,” Keating said.
Marx defended his decision, telling the three contestants their performances had failed to match the standard they had previously demonstrated.
“All three of these performances were worse than your Blind Auditions,” he said. “That just can’t happen.”
“What’s tricky about this for me is that I don’t feel like any of you rose to the occasion,” he continued.
“This is so not personal because I really think the world of all three of you guys. So, I don’t know if I’m allowed to do this, I’m not going to take any of you through.”
Despite pleas from Kruger, the audience and his fellow coaches, Marx refused to change his mind, meaning all three contestants were eliminated and his team entered the Quarter Finals with one less artist.
While many The Voice viewers were shocked by the call, others agreed with Marx.
However, a significant portion of the online reaction focused on whether Marx himself was responsible for the disappointing performances because of his song choices.
Saem performed Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra, Dicko sang I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith, while Cherry performed Another One Bites the Dust by Queen.
“I cannot believe what Richard did by not choosing anyone,” one fan wrote online. “Personally, I truly believe that it was due to him giving them the wrong songs to sing.”
“I think he made the right decision based on their performance last night,” another agreed. “However, I do agree he gave them the wrong song choices that didn’t show their true ability.”
“Richard should have chosen better songs for them,” a third chimed in. “They did their best with the songs they were given, which didn’t showcase them. Richard’s fault!! The other Coaches did well with their selection of songs!”
Others were even more direct in their criticism.
“When you pick the wrong songs, that’s what happens – poor performance from people who can do much better,” oe viewer wrote online.
“How embarrassing for him, wrong song choices,” another agreed.
The debate comes as the competition moves into its next stage, with the remaining artists now tasked with proving they have what it takes to make it through to the Semi Finals.
Images: Seven
