Ricky Wilson, lead singer of Menston band the Kaiser Chiefs, has been added to the coaching line-up for next year’s The Voice.
He joins Kylie Minogue as a new addition to the panel as show bosses give the programme a revamp. There has also been a recently-announced change in the presenters.
Keighley-born Ricky, who has also starred in stage musicals, will effectively replace Danny O’Donoghue as the rock representative among the coaches.
The Kaiser Chiefs have enjoyed had chart hits with tracks such as I Predict A Riot, Oh My God and Ruby and performed at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics last year.
He will join regulars Will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones who have appeared on both series of the show. Their fellow panellists Jessie J and The Script frontman O’Donoghue quit in the summer.
Ricky said: “Who doesn’t want to spend their Saturday night with Kylie Minogue? I spent last winter yelling at The Voice, and both Sir Tom Jones and Will.i.am were total superstars.
“I’m just lucky the Kaiser Chiefs have rubber-stamped my temporary loan.”
BBC controller for entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey said: “Ricky is one of the UK music scene’s great frontmen. He knows all about performance and will complement the rest of the coaching line-up perfectly.”
Next year’s series of the show will begin in January, much earlier than the spring start for the previous years which has led to the programme competing for an audience on Saturday nights with Britain’s Got Talent.
Emma Willis and JLS singer Marvin Humes will present the show, succeeding Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates.
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