Mel B and Benji Madden to judge The Voice Kids Australia
Channel Nine has confirmed Mel B will be a judge on The Voice Kids Australia along with Joel Madden’s brother Benji Madden.
The announcement:
Mel B and Benji Madden have today been announced as Coaches alongside Delta Goodrem and Joel Madden in the first season of The Voice Kids Australia.
Mel B is best known as Scary Spice of the Spice Girls, and in a career spanning over 20 years she has added television personality, author, fashion leader, stage star, philanthropist, entrepreneur and mother to her list of ever-expanding credits.
The pop star’s brash persona was at the core of the Spice Girls’ success, racking up huge record sales worldwide and Guinness Book of World Records acclaim for Most No 1 Entries in the UK Charts and Most Consecutive No 1’s for a New Act.
The Spice Girls had one of the most successful concert tours of 2007‐08, with their reunion trek grossing more than $70 million. Since the Spice Girls, success has continued for Mel B in her solo career. In 1998, her first solo single, I Want You Back, which featured Missy Elliott, marked the first time an individual Spice Girl went to number one on the UK charts.
Apart from singing, Mel has been a regular on television over the past few years with positions on America’s Got Talent, Dancing With The Stars, and a reality series based on the pop star’s life titled Mel B: It’s a Scary World, which was sold to 34 countries. Australia saw more of Mel when she was a judge on The X Factor for two years, a role that gave the popular personality an even stronger local fan base.
“I’m so excited to be going back to my second home and returning to Australian television this year. I will be joining a great lineup of Coaches on The Voice Kids. It’s going to be so much fun, and I can’t wait to get started,” Mel B said.
Coach Joel Madden will be teaming up with his brother and past mentor on The Voice, Benji. Both Coaches will sit side-by-side in their own big red chair and together decide who joins Team Madden.
Joel and Benji Madden, of multi-platinum-selling pop rock band Good Charlotte, have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. They are best known for the singles Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Dance Floor Anthem, which catapulted the band to global recognition in 2003. They have won two Teen Choice Awards, eight MTV Music Awards, and are National Spokespersons for the UNICEF Tap Project providing clean water for millions of children globally.
Born and raised in Maryland, USA, Joel and Benji formed Good Charlotte with two school friends at the age of 16. They took the name from a children’s book. The band has released five studio albums: Good Charlotte (2000), The Young and the Hopeless (2002), The Chronicles of Life and Death (2004), Good Morning Revival (2007) and Cardiology (2010), plus the compilations Greatest Remixes (2008) and Greatest Hits (2010).
Joel and Benji are set to release their highly anticipated debut album as The Madden Brothers on Capitol Records later this year.
“I’m really glad to be back in Australia. I’m always happy to work with my brother and especially to be a part of The Voice Kids. I always jump at the chance to mentor kids when it comes to music. This is gonna be a lot of fun,” Benji said.
Singer, songwriter, performer, pianist, and actress. At just 29, Delta Goodrem is one of Australia’s most accomplished female performers of the last decade, having achieved multi-platinum-selling status, eight number one singles, three number one albums and 15 top 10 hits. In 2010, she was declared the ARIA Albums Artist of The Decade for selling more albums than any other domestic or international artist over the previous 10 years, thanks to her hit albums Innocent Eyes, Mistaken Identity and Delta. Goodrem’s fourth studio album, Child of the Universe, spawned the multi-platinum hit Sitting on Top of the World and the lauded ballad Wish You Were Here. In late 2013 she celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Innocent Eyes with a special edition acoustic DVD and album, and 2014 will bring new music from the popular singer.
“I am so delighted to be a part of the coaching team for The Voice Kids and really look forward to supporting and nurturing the contestants and working with Joel, Benji and Mel,” Delta said.
Adrian Swift, Nine Network’s Director of Development, said: “The Voice Kids is a whole new opportunity to share the extraordinary talent of young people in this country. We are very excited to have a panel of Coaches of this international standard to nurture these young artists through the show.
“Delta is one of the best individual voices Australia has produced. With the Spice Girls and as a solo artist Mel has sold over 80 million records. Benji and Joel have gone from chart-topping hit makers to become a formidable writing and producing team. If you’re a young Australian voice with a dream of finding an audience, we have the best stage in town.”
The Voice Kids Australia, hosted by Darren McMullen, will showcase the extraordinary vocal talent of kids aged 8 to 14 from around Australia, all competing to impress superstar coaches. Expect the same level of talent and heart-stopping moments that take Australia’s breath away on the adult version of The Voice.
Joining Darren will be season one Team Joel favourite on The Voice, Prinnie Stevens. As a seasoned performer and young mother, Prinnie will be backstage with the kids offering final words of encouragement and advice as they take their first step onto the stage.
Already a global ratings smash hit in more than 15 countries, The Voice Kids will feature the same spectacular set with electrifying blind auditions and thrilling battle rounds. The series will culminate in a grand finale where only the best of the best young singers will get their chance to perform for the title of The Kids Voice of Australia.
The Voice Kids is a co-production between Shine Australia and Talpa Productions. The Australian series of The Voice Kids is filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney.
Source: Nine Network press release.
