The Voice UK 2018 Blind Auditions 5 Live Blog (VIDEO)

Tonight, The Voice UK 2018 heads into week 5 of the Blind Auditions on iITV 1! Sir Tom Jones, Jennifer Hudson, will.i.am return to the coaches panel. Joining them is newbie the X Factor UK’s Olly Murs. With host Emma Willis.

Saskia Eng – 16 – Strong by London Grammar – She lives with her mum and dad, siblings and two dogs and has been singing since she was nine or 10.  She has an ADHD diagnosis. She has an unusual tone. It’s very deep. They’ll all be shocked when they turn and find out that she’s only 16. Olly wonders if she’s a girl or a boy. Nobody is turning! Until Tom does.  Yep. They’re shocked she’s a kid. Tom thinks her voice is different. But in a great way! Will and Jennifer both feel they made a mistake. See, as soon as they realized she was young, their minds changed. – Team Tom Picks Saskia

An interlude: Will sings “Where is the Love”. Olly and JHud join him!

Faith (Amy & Chloe Cunliffe) – 21 – Hold On by Wilson Phillips – They are identical twins who began singing at a very young age. Dad takes them to all their gigs. They sound so much alike–when they began singing together the panel is taken aback. The coaches are hesitating–probably because they’re kind of pitchy. For twins, their harmonies are pretty bad.  So yeah, nobody turns – No Turns

Paige Young – 25 – Crying in the Club by Camila Cabello – She’s a fitness instructor. But music is her passion. She was in America for awhile, she had management, even. But it didn’t work out. Hm. She’s got a squeaky mini-mouse voice. It’s a little weird. Her voice is strong and on key. She has a good range. But I can’t get past that weird tone. Will hits his button at the very last minute. She wanted Will, so it’s all good. Olly has regrets, especially when he learns she’s from his hometown, Essex. – Team Will Picks Paige

Shane McCormack – 20 – Moondance by Van Morrison (Michael Buble version)  – He’s an Irish circus owner. He tours with his partner–a dude whose name I didn’t catch. He does a comedy singing act. Shane has auditioned for The Voice because he wants a serious music career. His tone really stands out. Unsurprisingly, Olly hits his button pretty quick. “What soul you’ve got in your voice!” Olly says. Will didn’t turn because he felt Olly or Tom would be a better fit. He makes a weird orange juice analogy to illustrate his point. Will is weird. Tom didn’t turn because he felt that he imitated Buble too much. “Be yourself,” he says. – Team Olly Picks Shane

It’s a night of no turns or one turns as the coaches teams fill up.

Rhianna Abrey – 20 – Ghost by Ella Henderson – She works in customer service for an insurance company. Her dad is her biggest fan. Even hitting a bunch of high notes doesn’t move the panel…until Will finally hits his button. She’s got a big, but unruly voice. She needs to work on control/oversinging, which Will mentions. He thinks he can work with her. Both JHud and Tom were close to turning. She let nerves get the best of her. – Team Will Picks Rhianna

Ross Anderson – 16 – Drag Me Down by One Direction – He’s from Glasgow. His dad plays guitar. He’s been busking for four years (!!!) Will predicts that a nervous 16 year old guy is waiting backstage. Uh. Sure. “I like this one!” says JHud as she hits her button. He’s got a sweet tone, and some nice phrasing. But he’s NERVOUS and it’s affecting his pitch. And STILL we continue a night of one chair turns! Olly says he couldn’t separate his version from the original (1D are his mates!) Jennifer asks him to sing again, coaching him to hit the notes harder. She’s not wasting any time. – Team Jennifer Picks Ross

Wendi Harriot – 41 – Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones –  Her son performs in a 90’s cover band. She’s sung backups for a bunch of stars…including Jennifer. We see a clip of her singing behind Jhud last year on The Voice UK! She’s pretty old fashioned, but has an appealing rasp and engaging style. She’s a little too polished. She’s obviously not a youngin so…nobody turns. Sads. She keeps a smile on her face as she leaves the stage. Back to singing backups for her. – No Turns

Ellis Bridgewater – 25 – Big White Room by Jessie J – She’s a little shouty and off key. Have they run out of good singers?  And no turns. The crowd shouts “Olly should have gone for that.” Uh…maybe not? Her performance  had no finesse. If she sang with some subtlety, it would have made a big difference – No Turns

Wayne Ellington – 46 – We Were Raised Under Grey Skies by JP Cooper – He runs a community choir in Manchester. He’s got a smooth soulful voice, but is perfectly capable of hitting big powerful note–one of which got Tom’s attention. His style reminds me of Tom a little, actually. And the Jennifer turns. It’s the first and only multiple chair turn of the night. JHud could tell he was a seasoned vocalist. Tom was looking for a MALE voice. Tom notes their vocal similarities. Olly compliments his smooth voice. And no surprise, Wayne chooses Team Tom. His vocal doppelganger!

And that’s it! See you next week.