The Voice 2024: Surprising reason Rita Ora was 'axed' from the show

The Voice Australia is set to return next month with a brand new group of superstar musicians joining longtime coach Guy Sebastian in the iconic red chairs. The thirteenth season of the Channel Seven singing competition will feature internationally acclaimed hitmaker LeAnn Rimes, Grammy-nominated artist and actor Adam Lambert, and Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke as they search for Australia’s next singing sensation.

Fans were shocked when it was first announced that Jessica Mauboy, Rita Ora and Jason Derulo wouldn’t be returning for another season, with many questioning what had happened to the ‘dream team’. It was quickly explained that each of the three had ‘scheduling conflicts’, with Jessica touring Australia from February to May, Rita filming the US version of The Masked Singer, and Jason touring Europe from February to August.

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However, a production insider tells Yahoo Lifestyle that another reason why the coaches left the series was due to pay disputes.

“The decision was made last year and the casting team were looking for quite some time,” our source claims. “When you have stars returning each year it becomes expensive. You really need to keep increasing their salary to keep them and eventually, they become too expensive.

“The company line was that Jessica, Rita and Jason were all too busy, but I don't think anyone is too busy to pick up these sorts of pay cheques. It certainly did have a lot to do with keeping the costs down.”

Coaches' demands revealed

Channel Seven executives are reportedly “nervous” about the new lineup of coaches after the previous configurations had been praised for their chemistry and diversity. Our insider claims the network was also feeling worried when Keith Urban left the show in 2022, but the show’s continued success proved they had found the right replacement in Jason Derulo.

“Jason was a big risk in 2023 and Channel Seven knew that if he worked on the show his management was going to ask for a much higher figure to come back this year, which in the end was obviously too expensive,” the source shares.

“Meanwhile, Rita’s feeling was that she had exceeded what she could bring to the format and certainly wasn't going to come back without a pay rise - especially knowing Guy was getting top billing.

“Jessica was also asking for equal pay with Guy and that could have been a reason why she left. If the ratings drop, she will likely be the first one asked back. The decision to let her go could hurt the show and everyone knows it.”

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Another key reason why the network chose not to invest in the same lineup of coaches has to do with the viewers’ priorities, according to our source.

“What people love about this show is the auditioning talent's story and their ability to sing,” they add. “The vocals are key to this show reaching fans' hearts, so Channel Seven can essentially do whatever they like with the lineup.”

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