The Voice of Ireland

The Voice of Ireland is the Irish edition of the international TV franchise The Voice, a reality singing competition created by media tycoon John de Mol. The first series began airing from 8 January 2012 on RTÉ One.[1] The coaches originally were Bressie, Sharon Corr, Kian Egan and Brian Kennedy. Kennedy left after the first series and was replaced by Jamelia. After the second series, Corr quit the show owing to other commitments and was replaced by Dolores O'Riordan. Following series 3, Dolores and Jamelia quit. The coaches for series 4 were Bressie, Una Healy, Kian Egan and Rachel Stevens. The show was hosted by Kathryn Thomas[2] and co-hosted by Eoghan McDermott, who also presented backstage show The Voice After Party in Series 3.

The Voice of Ireland
GenreReality competition
Created byJohn de Mol
Presented by
Judges
Country of originIreland
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes71
Production
ProducerScreentime Shinawil Productions
Production locationThe Helix
Running time72–104 minutes (inc. adverts)
Original release
NetworkRTÉ One
Release8 January 2012 (2012-01-08) –
24 April 2016 (2016-04-24)
Related

The series was part of The Voice franchise and was based on a similar competition format in the Netherlands entitled The Voice of Holland. The show replaced The All Ireland Talent Show. One of the important premises of the show is the quality of the singing talent. Four coaches, themselves popular performing artists, train the talents in their group and occasionally perform with them. Talents are selected in blind auditions, where the coaches cannot see, but only hear the auditioner.

The TV show "blind" auditions were held at the Helix, and were broadcast for the first five weeks of the series. The Battle Phase was broadcast over three weeks from the second week of February to the last week of February each year. The winner of the show is offered a recording contract with Universal Music Ireland worth €100,000.

The current and final holder of the crown The Voice of Ireland is the series 5 champion, Michael Lawson. To date, all five winners of the Irish version of the franchise have been males.

On 3 August 2016, it was announced that the show was going to be replaced by an Irish version of Strictly Come Dancing.[3]

History

edit

The show replaced The All Ireland Talent Show. The Voice of Ireland aired on RTÉ One and was produced by Screentime Shinawil Productions.

Auditions

edit

The Blind Auditions for Series 1 took place at The Helix, Dublin, between 26 and 31 October 2011 in front of a live audience. The first series began on 8 January 2012 and finished on 29 April 2012. The Blind auditions for Series 2 took place at The Helix, Dublin, between 21 and 25 October 2012 at The Helix.[4] The later seasons followed a very similar schedule.

Scheduling and filming

edit

The show took place in The Helix in Dublin. The main show aired for 90 minutes. The results show aired for 30 minutes. The show aired on Sunday nights. Filming for the Blind Auditions took place in October each year in Dublin's Helix.

Format

edit

The series consists of three phases:

  • Blind audition
  • Battle phase
  • Live performance shows

Blind audition

edit

Four coaches, all famous musicians, choose teams of artists through a blind audition process. Each coach has the length of the artists performance to decide if he or she wants that artist on his or her team (twelve in the first series, more in the second); if two or more coaches want the same artist then the singer gets to choose which coach they want to work with. An addition to the third season was that RTÉ 2fm selected 5 wildcards to audition.

Battle phase

edit

Each team of singers is mentored and developed by their coach. In the second stage, coaches have two of their team members battle against each other by singing the same song, with the coach choosing which team member will advance to the next stage. For the third series a new feature was added whereby if an act lost their battle, they are not immediately out of the competition. Each coach has one 'Steal' where they get the opportunity to take one losing act and have them join their team for the live shows. They do this by pressing their 'I Want You' button.

Live performance shows

edit

In the final phase, the remaining contestants compete against each other in live broadcasts. The television audience help to decide who moves on. When one team member remains for each coach, the contestants compete against each other in the finale.

Post-The Voice of Ireland

edit

The winner of the show is offered a recording contract with Universal Music Ireland worth €100,000.

Coaches and hosts

edit
NameSeries
12345
Bressie
Kian Egan
Sharon Corr
Brian Kennedy
Jamelia
Dolores O'Riordan
Rachel Stevens
Una Foden
Kathryn ThomasPresenter
Eoghan McDermottPresenter

Coaches' teams and their artists

edit
Key
  – Winning coach. Winners are in bold, eliminated contestants in small font.
SeriesBressieSharon CorrKian EganBrian Kennedy
1Pat Byrne
Conor Quinn
Kiera Byrne
Gari Deegan
Jessica Pritzel
Gavin Kenny
Vanessa Whelan
Kim Hayden
Kevin Keeley
Nollaig O'Connor
Kellie Blaise
Fauve Chapman
Jim Devine
Sharon Gaynor
Liam Geddes
Elliot Canavan Doyle
Graham Dowling
Kyle Kennedy
Richie Hayes
Alan Fitzsimons
Brendan Keeley
Sinead Fox
Claire O'Loughlin
Ryan O'Shaughnessy
2BressieSharon CorrKian EganJamelia
Shannon Murphy
Katy Anna Mohan
Sinead O'Brien
Andrew Mann
Terri O'Reilly
Velvin Lamont
John Gaughan
Aoife McLoughlin
Tammy Browne
Mark Guildea
Stephen Hudson
Dean Anthony
Kelly Mongan
Shane McLaughlin
Ray Scully
Andy Mac Unfraidh
Karl Sheridan
Daryl Phillips
Keith Hanley
Wayne Beatty
Dylan Powell
Roisin Carlin
Jennifer Moore
Sophie Rischar
3BressieDolores O'RiordanKian EganJamelia
Brendan McCahey
Jamie Stanton
Sarah Sylvia
Ciara Donnelly
Pádraig Byrne
Kedar Friis-Lawrence
Kellie Lewis
Mariah Butler
Michelle Revins
Emma Walsh
Peter Whitford
John Hogan
Jay Boland
Paddy Molloy
Danica Holland
Laura O'Connor
Craig McMarrow
Pauric McLaughlin
Laura May Lenehan
Gavin Murray
Aisling Connolly
Remy Naidoo
Simon Cody
Martin McInerney
Daisy Valenzuela
4BressieRachel StevensKian EganUna Healy
Emma Humber
Denise Morgan
Kayleigh Cullinan
John O'Grady
Ashley Loftus
Laura Enright
Sarah McTernan
Kieran McKillop
Patrick Kennedy
Amy Hansard
Gemma Lomar
Cian O'Melia
John Bonham
Helena Bradley Bates
Fionn Gardner
Caoin Fitz
Ciara Monaghan
Pat Fitz
Patrick Donoghue
John Sheehy
Niall O'Halloran
Kelley McArdle
Evan Cotter
Nicola Lynch
5Michael Lawson
Moylan Brunnock
Georgina Richmond
Laura O'Connor
Matthew Soares
Ciaran O'Driscoll
Kelesa Mulcahy
Jasmine Kavanagh
Luke Ray Lacey
Nigel Connell
Emmett Daly
Emmie Reek

Series overview

edit

Warning: the following table presents a significant amount of different colors.

SeasonAiredWinnerRunner-upThird placeFourth placeWinning coachPresentersCoaches (chairs' order)
1234
12012Pat ByrneRichie HayesVanessa WhelanJim DevineBressieEoghan McDermott,
Kathryn Thomas
BressieSharonKianBrian
22013Keith HanleyKelly MonganShane McLaughlinShannon MurphyJameliaJamelia
32014Brendan McCaheyKellie LewisLaura May LenehanJamie StantonBressieDolores
42015Patrick DonoghueEmma HumberSarah McTernanKieran McKillopUna HealyRachelUna
52016Michael LawsonKelesa MulcahyNigel ConnellLaura O’ConnorBressie

Reception

edit

Series averages

edit
SeriesPremiere dateFinale dateEpisodes
(inc. results shows)
Average Irish viewers
(inc. results shows)
18 January 201229 April 201225597,222
26 January 201328 April 201317599,411
35 January 201427 April 2014TBA575,767
44 January 201526 April 2015TBA
53 January 201626 April 2016

Ratings

edit

RTÉ described the first ever episode as "a great ratings success" as it pulled in an average of 708,000 viewers and peaked at 1.2 million.[5] It was later reported that the first 5 episodes pulled in an average of 701,000 viewers a week.[6]

Audience ratings for the first series, initially promising, had plunged by 50% by the time the live shows were broadcast and were reported to be unfavourable when compared to ratings held by its predecessor The All Ireland Talent Show.[7]

The Voice After Party

edit

The Voice After Party is a spin-off show, discussing each show afterwards.[8]

Music releases by The Voice of Ireland contestants

edit

As of July 2016, The Voice of Ireland has had thirteen singles and four albums chart on the top 100 on the Irish Singles and Albums Charts.

Singles

edit
ArtistSeriesPosition in showSong titleIRE release dateIRE peak chart
position
Ref(s)
Pat Byrne1Winner"What a Wonderful World"23 April 20123[9]
Richie Hayes1Runner-up"One Voice"23 April 201223[9]
Vanessa Whelan1Third place"Who Wants to Live Forever"23 April 201228[9]
Jim Devine1Fourth Place"The Dance"23 April 2012-[10]
Pat Byrne1Winner"End of the World"2 November 201261
Ryan O'Shaughnessy1Final 24"No Name"5 August 20123[11]
Pat Byrne1Winner"All or Nothing"15 March 201380
Kim Hayden1Final 8"Warrior"19 April 2013-[12]
Keith Hanley2Winner"Beggin'"29 April 201337[13]
Kelly Mongan2Runner-Up"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"29 April 201367[13]
Shannon Murphy2Fourth Place"Ho Hey"29 April 201349[13]
Ryan O'Shaughnessy1Final 24"Who Do You Love?"2 August 20133[14]
Andrew Mann2Final 16"Middle Of The Dancefloor"8 November 2013-[15]
Keith Hanley2Winner"Blue"21 February 201429
Brendan McCahey3Winner"You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover"17 April 201415
Keith Hanley2Winner"Hush"30 May 2014-
Brendan McCahey3Winner"Sweet Love"31 October 201490
Brendan McCahey3Winner"Safe and Well"10 April 2015-
Patrick Donoghue4Winner"Redemption Days"17 July 2015-
Patrick Donoghue4Winner"Judge My Love"8 April 2016-
Michael Lawson5WinnerRevival15 July 2016-

Albums

edit
ArtistSeriesPosition in showAlbum titleIRE release dateIRE peak chart
position
Ref(s)
Pat Byrne1Winner"All or Nothing"16 November 201210[16]
Ryan O'Shaughnessy1Final 24"Ryan O'Shaughnessy"13 August 20121[17]
Conor Quinn1Final 8"Golden Kids"20 August 2013-
Andrew Mann2Final 16"Hidden In Plain Sight"31 December 2013 (re-release)-
Kim Hayden1Final 8"Better"14 February 2014-
Keith Hanley2Winner"Hush"7 March 201417
Brendan McCahey3Winner"To Where I Begin"14 November 201420

References

edit