Are you going? Are you going?

So...the Blind Auditions are over, the Battle Rounds are on the way, but the best thing of all is that "The Voice UK" has been a resounding success. Whether or not you agree with the need for yet another TV talent show, the success of The Voice UK is very significant indeed - it's sending out a message that we are sick of your manipulative 'let's all laugh at the poor deluded individual who can't sing' TV formats.

That's not to say The Voice UK is perfect, because it isn't.  It's a 21st century TV talent show, with all the knowing ingredients.  Despite their insistence that there are no sob stories, well...there are, and they will probably be revisited as the series goes on.  And as for the judges/mentors, they've probably got an eye towards boosting their own careers and we wouldn't be too surprised if this series generates a British equivalent of "Moves Like Jagger" - we can only hope for something as good as that!

Here at EuropeCrazy HQ we agreed that the biggest annoyance during the Blind Auditions was that Will.i.am, Jessie J, Tom Jones and Danny O'Donoghue took far too long to push the button, worst offenders clearly being Jessie and Danny, miming along with the singers and mock-goading each other ("are you going? are you going?"), and screaming 'me-me-me!'.

Yet despite all that...we love The Voice UK and can't wait till the next instalment.

Not laying down any conspiracy theories here, but IMHO I thought it was pretty suspicious that some articles appeared in the press last weekend which appeared to discredit the show by suggesting that some of the contestants weren't the 'undiscovered talent' which the show was supposed to uncover.  Big deal!  Do I remember rightly that over the past 8 years of a certain talent show which runs in the lead-up to Christmas, that some contestants have had previous recording contracts?  People in glass houses.....

Anyway I don't care.  I just want to hear some decent singers for a change, preferably without any bickering-judges media circus around them.  I couldn't care less if they've had 'previous' or not.  In the case of Tyler James, who's on Will's team, I'm just glad to see him get a second chance.  Back in the day, he was a big favourite in blogland, and I remember chatting to Acer Ben about him in my early blogging days...."Foolish" was a great pop single too.  He may be better known in recent times for being the late Amy Winehouse's ex, so it will be nice to see him hitting the headlines for his vocal ability.

(Tyler James picture courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk)