With the knockouts in season 22 of The Voice underway, fans of the show are excited to see which one of their favorite contestants will win the season this year. The Voice has been going on for 22 seasons and 533 episodes since 2011 and over the years, it has introduced a lot of great talent.
But with the sheer number of contestants each year, the cast, crew, and judges have to follow some strict rules to keep the show organized and entertaining. Here are some reveals about these rules and what they involve.
The First Auditions Are Held Virtually
The Voice has become an international sensation, and with such popularity, the number of hopeful contestants has also risen considerably. The producers and judges on the show don't have the time to carefully vet each and every contestant in person.
This is why every applicant first has to their recording on the online portal. Showrunners then review the applications and shortlist the people who then get the chance to audition in person.
The Contestants Have To Go Through Pre-Audition Training
The Voice is arguably one of the best reality TV shows of the past decade. Once the applicants are shortlisted by producers to finally audition in person and on set, there is a long process of coaching before finally going in front of the camera to hopefully get coached by one of the celebrity coaches.
All applicants go through professional training for weeks and sometimes even months before their first appearance. Kat Perkins from season 6 stated to Cosmopolitan that "We also had social media and interview training" for the red carpet, radio, and print interviews. The contestants have to take into the advice they receive from everyone on top of their celebrity coaches.
Contestants Don't Get To Choose The Songs
While it is true that applicants can choose their own songs and explain the reason behind them for their auditions, once they are selected, they don't have free choice when it comes to their song selection for the show, this being one of the fakest things about The Voice that might rub fans the wrong way.
Season 1 semi-finalist, Frenchie Davis, stated to Cosmopolitan that judges and coaches often select the songs for you. He further stated that "It's always hysterical when the judges say 'I don't think that was a good song for you, but in reality, they picked the song." Even the executive producer of the show, Audrey Morrissey, stated that song selection is one of the most debated aspects of the show.
Contestants Have To Wear What The Producers Decide For Them
Although the applicants have full autonomy over what they wear and how they present themselves during the blind auditions, if they are selected, the story is not the same. To make the show entertaining and glamorous, the producers and the stylists on the show make sure the contestants look as polished as possible.
Executive producer Audrey Morrissey stated in an interview with SheKnows that, "We shop for each artist to come up with great looks." This does make sense considering the different backgrounds that contestants come from and the different budgets they might have for their clothes, and the show is supposed to make everyone look great.
Contestants Have To Work According To The Coaches' Schedules
One of the biggest advantages for the contestants on the show is that they get to work with world-famous artists who are on top of their game. This is a great learning opportunity on top of the fact that they get to be on a world-famous reality show.
But contestants do have to work around the busy schedules of the artists. Vicci Martinez from season 1 told judges on The Voice are ranked by their number of wins, but any contestant would be ecstatic at the chance to work with one of them, whatever it requires.
Contestants Can't Do Much Outside The Show
Most of the people applying to be a part of the show have separate lives and jobs outside of it. But once they are selected, they rarely get time to do anything outside the show. Jessie Poland, one of the former contestants said, "I couldn't make a ton of money even though I worked as a film writer."
The contestants are only paid a small stipend for being part of the show and, of course, the chance to work with great artists and to win the competition.
All Contestants Have To Sign An Outrageous Contract
It is true that every reality TV show makes contestants and participants sign lengthy legal contracts to protect themselves from lawsuits in the future, but The Voice's legal contract adds some extra caveats that make it quite extreme. In 2014, a 32-page contract was leaked to the Daily News that revealed a lot of information about what rights the contestants have on the show.
The contract stated that the contestants can't sue if they are shown in a negative, embarrassing or defamatory light on the show. The producers also have the right to kick out any contestant at any given point in time, even if they have the most votes.
Rules Can Change At Any Point
The Voice is one of the best talent shows on TV. It makes sense that, in a competition, the rules are decided beforehand, and changing them in the middle of the competition would be unfair, but not on The Voice. Although contestants are aware of the rules before g up, according to the leaked 2014 contract, the studio has the power to change the rules in the middle of the competition at any time.
The producers also have the power to remove anyone from the show for any reason they see fit and the contestants do not have the power to sue the studio. This seems unfair to the participants, but at least they are clear about the rules from the beginning.
Contestants Have To Go Through Medical & Psychological Evaluation
Anyone appearing on a world-famous reality show and dealing with the pressure of performing at their best would probably say it is very difficult. But the producers and showrunners on The Voice have a big problem if a contestant says that they cannot continue on the show due to the pressure.
To prevent this from happening, the contract leak revealed that each contestant has to go through medical and psychological evaluations before appearing on the show. There is even a psychologist present on set to help the contestants if they need help.