The salaries of the judges for the 2025 season of The Voice Australia have been revealed for the first time, and the figures are eye-watering.
The upcoming series of the hit singing competition will see Richard Marx, Mel C, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ronan Keating in the iconic red chairs.
According to The Daily Mail, international stars Marx and Mel C landed the biggest pay packets, each securing deals worth “north of $1 million” from Channel 7 for their roles on the show.
“Richard wasn’t going to uproot himself from the US unless it made sense financially,” a source told the publication.
“He’s a bona fide rock legend, Seven knew they had to pay to play.”
The same went for Mel C, with the insider adding, “She wasn’t flying halfway across the world for less than a million. She brings global star power and that comes with a price tag.”
Back for another year, fan-favourite Kate Miller-Heidke is understood to be on a deal between $500,000 and $600,000, while Keating is believed to have negotiated a salary just under the million-dollar mark.
“Ronan is a known face to Aussie audiences and has proven chemistry with the format, so it would be surprising if he wasn’t on a deal close to the million mark,” the insider said.
They added, “Big red chairs demand big names – and that means paying up. But when you look at the buzz around Richard, Mel, Ronan and Kate, it’s money well spent.”
Despite the big spend, some viewers aren’t sold on the new-look panel. Many have voiced their frustration that only one of the four coaches is Australian.
“Only 1 in 4 judges is Aussie, that sucks,” one viewer posted on X.
Another wrote that having just one Australian coach on a show designed to discover homegrown talent was “criminal.”
“A bit disappointing the #TheVoiceAU only has one Australian judge,” another fan tweeted.
“Apparently we don’t have enough aussie artists as judges to give us better ratings?” questioned one viewer.
“Love them all but only one Aussie … not sure that is a good choice …” said another.
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