The Voice UK 2018 Knockouts Round 2 Live Blog (VIDEO)

Each team of six will be split into two teams. Half the teams will perform this week, the other half next week. After the two week knockouts, the remaining 8 singers will move on to the live semi final. The finale airs on April 8.

Jennifer Hudson will be joined by X Factor season 3 winner, Leona Lewis and her former team member, winner of last year’s X Factor UK, Mo Adeniran. Tom Jones joins forces with Aussie pop star, Kylie Minogue. Will.i.am brings on his fellow Black Eyed Peas and Olly Murs gets a hand from British pop singer Craig David.

SORRY. I did not take into account that Saturday Night Takeaway was off the air due to one of the host’s (Ant) drunk driving arrest (!!!). The show aired at 7 pm GMT–rather than 8:30 as originally scheduled–as a result. (I DO NOT GET THE UK’S EVER SHIFTING TV SCHEDULES HOW DO PEOPLE KEEP TRACK) In any case, I tuned in late. Will have to catch up later. But here are the videos and results.

Team Will

Donel Mangena – Finesse by Bruno Mars – Will mentions that Donel got four turns. His grandma from Zimbabwe is hella cute! His little brother looks up to him. Donel is “super duper excited” to perform it. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t make the final. He’s what they call the “whole package” with the dancing, and the stage presence, easy on the eyes ETC. He’s not the best vocalist, but he raps and sings confidently. “You’re a star dude,” says Jennifer. Olly calls Will and Donel a match made in heaven. Will says the other singer need to bring ladders so they can reach the bar that he raised.

Saskia Eng – I Came Here For Love by Ella Eyre –  Saskia is Will’s steal (from Tom). The Black Eyed peas can’t believe she’s only sixteen, calling her an “old soul.” Will says she needs to take the song up a notch to succeed. Hm. Not sure this is right song for her. She sounds flat and didn’t really take that song anywhere. Tom says she’s proving herself tonight. Jennifer loves the presence in her voice, “I want to hear you on record.” Will is honored to have her on his team. “I salute your performance.”

Mark Asari – Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House – Mark has a severe stutter. He’s proud to have inspired stutterers across the UK. He’s was a little intimidated at first, because he didn’t know the song–it was out of his comfort zone. Vocally, Mark sounds thin and nasally–the weakest of the three performances. He sounds almost out of breath. Oh…he admits to being nervous. He sounded it. “I love the way you sing,” says Tom. Will claims to be “super happy.” OK then. The coaches are being nice. Mark sings this thank you. He does that to avoid stammering.

Results: Will Chooses Donel Mangena to advance to the semi-final. Saskia Eng an Mark Asari are eliminated. The correct choice.

Team Tom

Nandi – Sing it Back by Moloko – Tom stole Nandi from Will.  She remembers Kylie from the TV show Neighbors–not so much her music. She wasn’t sure about the song choice at first, but then really warmed up to it. Kylie and Tom encouraged her to “play” with the song a little more. Good song choice for Nandi. The song has a 70’s disco vibe. Nandi’s rendition is very slinky. She’s got some pitch problems, but her mesmerizing stage presence makes up for it. Will calls the performance “spectacular.” Jennifer loves her outfit. “I love that you were enjoying yourself,” she says. Tom is thrilled and delighted.

Wayne Ellington – Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson – Wayne is thrilled to meet Kylie.  The gospel singer runs a community choir. The oldest singer remaining, his style is very Tom Jones-esque. “Everybody knows this song,” Wayne says a little nervously. Nevertheless, he delivers another reliably strong performance, if a bit predictable. He really does sound like Sir Tom. “You’ve voice is so good!” says Olly. “Elegant, soulful, powerful,” says Will. “Wonderful.” Jennifer is happy to see him have his moment. Tom mentions that he knows the composer, and feels Wayne took the song “somewhere else.”

Ruti Olajugbabge – Dreams by The Cranberries – Tom loves her honest, soulful voice. She won the battle with Saskia. Ruti is VERY happy with the song choice. Kylie advises Ruti to have fun and be confident. Ruti has a beautiful, arresting tone. She sings like an angel. Love her dress, too. However, not sure about this song in a competition setting. It doesn’t really give her an opportunity to let loose. Jennifer calls the performance “effortless.”  Olly calls her a “serious contender.” Tom says, “You get to me. I’m very proud of you. You are a breath of fresh air.”

Results: Will Chooses Ruti Olajugbabge to advance to the Semi-final. Nandi and Wayne Ellington are eliminated. There is a case to be made for Wayne, who had a very strong performance. But Ruti has a unique style and the most potential.

Team Jennifer

Rhianna Abrey – Anywhere by Rita Ora – Jennifer was yet ANOTHER steal from Will. Mo thinks she’s grown since her flawed addition. Jennifer feels she’s stiff in rehearsal, coaching her to loosen up. Dad is in the audience crying. Vocally, Rhianna is on solid ground, but personality wise, she’s flat. Not much charisma here. Will thinks it’s her best performance so far. “Great performance…one of my favorites,” says Olly. Jennifer loves her “go getter” personality.

Belle Voci – Nella Fantasia – This young duo sing opera. Reminder: Jennifer had the singers perform Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in an operatic style and it was…something (Hint: Not something good). This time they’re back to traditional opera, and the relief is palpable. Jennifer wants to hear the duo sing more harmonies. Well…that was nice? The coaches give them a standing ovation. “Mesmerising,” says Olly. “It felt like the Oscars,” says Will. What? Jennifer says the duo is at the top of their game.

Jason Nicholson-Porter – When You Believe by Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey – Jason went to school with Leona when they were 12 years old. She remembers him. Jennifer and Leona remind him not to oversing. They sing bits of it for him to demonstrate. “I’m going to cherish this moment forever!” he says. Jason brings the drama. It’s a vocally powerful performance. Jason is like a possessed man on stage. “You can sing..that’s a really tough song to sing,” says Olly. “God gave you that gift,” says Tom. “You sing for reason,” says Will about his gospel roots. “You are anointed,” says Jennifer.

Results: Jennifer Chooses Belle Voce to advance to the Semi-final. Rhianna Abrey and Jason Nicholson-Porter are eliminated. The girls look totally shocked. As they should be. Because Jason was robbed.

Team Olly

Kirby Frost – Crazy by Gnarls Barkley – Olly loves Kirby’s attitude. She’s not sure about the song. But Olly thinks it’ll show people what a great singer she is. Craig wants her to stick to the original melody–mostly. If Kirby is feeling at all insecure, she’s not showing it here. She owns the stage when she’s on it. Will says she should be really proud of herself. “Girl, you were singing!” says Jennifer. Olly says Kirby made the song current. THe song isn’t really that old? Maybe to her.

Shane McCormack – City of Stars from La La Land – He’s the Buble-like standards singer. He says he’s in it to win it!. He and his partner run a travelling circus. Olly offers a challenge to Shane by giving him a contemporary tune. This is actually a good song choice for Shane. He’s still too imitative. Like Buble light. Jennifer compliments his voice and presence. “I want to see more of you,” she says. Will salutes his love of the style. Olly thinks he did a fantastic job, and mentions that he walks out on the circus stage with his pants down “You don’t have to mention that every time!” says Shane.

Jamie Gray – Faith by George Michael – He didn’t get a turn last year, but his girlfriend encouraged him to keep going. Jamie is emotional talking about the challenges of the last year. Craig says he needs to bring out that emotion during the performance, but control it. He sings a piano-ballady rendition of the song. It’s an emotional, vulnerable performance that makes up for the few pitchy spots. The judges give him a standing ovation. Tom says “I felt it.” He feels emotional. “We felt your heart…it felt honest,” says Jennifer. “You held it together brilliantly,” says Olly. “This is your time, enjoy it.

Results : Olly Chooses Jamie Grey to advance to the semi-final. Kirby Frost and Shane McCormack are eliminated. I think it was a tough decision between Jamie and Kirby. Kirby gets my vote for her confidence and swag.

*You can watch The Voice UK live, online. ITV streams the show through the ITV Player. However, ITV blocks viewers from outside of the UK. To get around that, you need to use VPN connection. If Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is your preferred browser, install Hola extension and set them to UK server. Then open the ITV Player, make a free account and pick the right channel. The player will ask you for a ZIP code. Find an active UK ZIP code HERE. Make sure you have the cookies enabled. You can also try to find a working ITV stream on MyiPlayer.com, TVPC.com or FilmON.com.

Next week, the show finally GOES LIVE and viewers will choose the singers heading to the grand final.

Semi Final Teams:

Team Tom

• Lucy Milburn
• Ruti Olajugbagbe

Team Will

• Tai
• Donel Mangena

Team Jennifer

• Gayatri Nair
• Belle Voci

Team Olly

• Lauren Bannon
• Jamie Grey