Could Jessie J be BBC’s Cheryl Cole on The Voice?

AS THE BBC gears up to challenge ITV's weekend ratings buster, X-Factor, the Corporation has confirmed that Jessie J will be a judge on their upcoming talent show The Voice.

The Price Tag singer says she "jumped" at the opportunity to be on the show, which will see four musicians act as both mentor and judge to a group of wannabes in much the same format as X-Factor. The key difference is the first stage of blind auditions, which allow contestants to be picked on the quality of their voice rather on how they look.
 
"I do think sometimes that a lot of people don't audition for these shows because... they don't feel they look like a popstar," said Jessie J, real name Jessica Ellen Cornish.

The other three coaches have not yet been confirmed, but, as ever, rumours have been flying. American rapper Cee Lo Green reportedly turned down the role due to previous commitments to the US version of the programme, while Cheryl Cole is said to have been rejected outright.

"They want the show to be credible, not full of pop people who don't sing live and don't know the industry," a source told the Daily Mirror. Instead, the BBC is said to be chasing music legend Lenny Kravitz and singer Adele for the panel.
 
"She's honest, funny and loved by millions of people of all ages," the Sun quoted a BBC source as saying. "She really has The Voice that can sell albums around the world so she knows what to look for."
 
The shift in emphasis from superficial star factor to actual talent may well be part of a wider trend. Polls in August revealed that over 70 per cent of viewers prefer X-Factor without the arrogant and belligerent former judge Simon Cowell. And with the programme still outperforming all of its competitors – last Sunday's show attracted 13 million viewers at its peak – the BBC will have to hit on the perfect formula to make its mark when The Voice airs early next year. ·