During the final, Jen & Liv showcased their vocal abilities with renditions of Whitney Houston’s ‘I’m Every Woman’ and Beyonce’s ‘Break My Soul,’ alongside Will.i.am, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and judges. The grand finale aired on December 30 and saw the duo surpass competitors Hope Winter, from Greenwich, Jolie Stevens, from Cardiff, and Callum Doignie, from Telford, to become the first group ever to win The Voice UK.

In the aftermath of their win, Jen & Liv took to Instagram to share their appreciation, stating, “Man…we are feeling beyond grateful for our time on @thevoiceuk. We have grown so much from this experience, as musicians and as women.”

From their humble beginnings as buskers to national acclaim, the win is a testament to the growing music scene of the North East. Speaking with the Northern Echo, Liv said, “The North East is definitely one for rallying behind its local artists. That’s something we have really felt since we started busking. Everyone is so supportive. The North East is just amazing. We can’t wait to get out there and make our music.”

Jenna expressed her sentiments in an interview with ITV Tyne Tees, emphasising the North East’s unwavering support for local artists, declaring, “There’s so much creative talent in the North East, and I think everyone always thinks it’s in London, so I think we all really need to rally together and get as much out there as possible.”

After concluding the filming of the finale in April, Jen & Liv have continued to busk in well-known spots across the North East, ensuring the secrecy of their victory until the episode aired. In addition, they have been working together diligently in the studio on their highly anticipated upcoming single, which is set to be released soon. Meanwhile, their current winning single ‘I’m Every Woman‘ is now available to stream and download on all major streaming platforms.

Celeste has had an exiting year, from picking up awards to appearing alongside new chart record breaker Lewis Capaldi for Amazon Prime Day. Being selected to compose or perform the song for the annual John Lewis and Waitrose Christmas advert is often a pivotal moment for artists, British or otherwise, who often find their careers really taking off soon afterwards. For example, Ellie Golding’s version of Elton John’s classic ‘Your Song,’ for the advert in 2010 which went on to surpass the original’s success and become a number 2 chart hit.

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While unlike Ellie Goulding, Celeste opted to write her own song for the advert, the influence of arguably the definitive John Lewis Christmas advert song is very audible as the simple piano accompaniment of mixed with the clear and crisp and effortlessly smooth vocals and the touching lyrics which fit perfectly with the imagery and make this years effort a real tearjerker. The addition of string arrangement as the song progresses is also a very subtly effective move, tugging at your heartstrings as Celeste’s voice glides through the jazzy number.

While it is too early to say how well this track will perform on the official charts, if its success on Youtube is anything to go by it is likely to be a strong contender for number one. The video uploaded to John Lewis & Partners on Youtube which includes the full advert showcasing the visuals and animation as well as the skilful direction which all blend perfectly with Celeste’s original composition, has now received 2,586,946 views in just two days and is currently #2 on trending as we speak.

This is exiting news for Celeste, who is already marking herself to be one of the hottest up and coming British talents of the 2020s and is only likely to continue to rise higher off the back of this. The heartwarming message of the advert will be melting the hearts of households across the nation at this very moment as she performs live on The Voice and whenever the John Lewis and Waitrose advert pops up on their TV screens.

With many of us spending even more time than usual indoors this November, this years advert is likely to be even more of a national and unifying event than usual, and Celeste is a great choice to bring a positive and warming to people right when they need it the most. The slight alternative edge to Celeste’s mostly pop oriented sound is a welcome and refreshing change in a format which has been repeated for a decade now.

Wilson and Minouge will be replacing Jesse J and The Script frontman Danny O’Donoghue, who left earlier this year. The Kaiser Chiefs have been around for nearly 15 years now and have been chart toppers for many of them, so Ricky has plenty of experience and knowledge in what it takes to be a great frontman and performer, being well known for his energetic live shows.

The Kaiser Chief tweeted Kylie Minouge saying “I’m sat with my bags on the doorstep. What time you picking me up?”  He also added “Who doesn’t want to spend their Saturday night with Kylie Minogue?”, and  “I spent last winter yelling at The Voice, and both Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am were total superstars”.

Ricky appears excited about the chance to be a talent show judge but Kaiser Chief fans don’t have to worry as the lad from Leeds isn’t going anywhere, “I’m just lucky the Kaiser Chiefs have rubber stamped my temporary loan!”.

Catch Ricky when the talent show returns next year.

The Irish singer announced his departure from the BBC musical talent show on Twitter today, stating;

‘I had two wonderful seasons on The Voice and as everybody knows I gave it my heart and soul and couldn’t be more proud of the show and what we have achieved. My focus will be on The Script moving forward as we are about to embark on the most important part of our career as a band’

O’Donoghue coached this years victor Andrea Begley to success, and was also the mentor for last years runner-up Bo Bruce, whose debut album, ‘Before I Sleep’ made the UK Album Chart top 10 in May – outselling the winner, Leanne Mitchell, whose self-titled debut achieved first-week sales of just under 900 copies. He is the second judge to quit the show, after Jessie J announced her departure earlier this month.

It is unknown whether the remaining judges, Sir Tom Jones and will.i.am will return for Season 3, as will.i.am stated previously that he would only return if the judging panel remained the same.
O Donoghue’s band, pop-rock outfit The Script recently finished the global tour for their third album, ‘#3’, and will be appearing at V Festival this August.