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Rita Ora: How The Voice judge has embraced life Down Under
During her time on The Voice Australia, Rita Ora has became an adopted Aussie.
She relished life in the sun Down Under and even met her boyfriend, Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, while living here.
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"It’s very peaceful for me to be able to go to the beach and sit there and read," she said in a recent interview with Harpers Bazaar.
"It’s really lovely to find that sense of grounding in a place where I’m not from.
"I love the people because they’re just so lovely and I just feel very accepted here, and I just feel very sort of free.
"I’ve got a definite close connection with Australia."
When Rita, 31, joined as a coach for The Voice Australia in 2021, she was the baby of the group, but the UK singing sensation proved she has more than enough credentials to mentor the next generation of singing sensations.
Having been a judge on The X Factor in the UK and a coach on The Voice UK, Rita is an experienced edition to the Australian show.
"I love The Voice and I absolutely adore Australia, so this is a match made in heaven," Rita says.
"Having been a coach on the UK series, I know just how powerful it can be in making dreams come true.
"I can’t wait to find Australia’s next superstar."
Fellow judges Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Keith Urban have become her "mini family", and Rita also admitted that from the beginning she "found a crazy love for Australia".
"I feel like I'm at home," she said.
"It is beautiful to be around people.
"I'm very grateful to be working and just to see the sun."
Rita clearly wanted to be a performer from a young age, attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, which boasts famous graduates such as model Lily Cole, actress Keely Hawes and fellow chart-toppers Dua Lipa and Baby Spice Emma Bunton.
She began performing in her dad's pub and at open mic nights, where her talent was recognised, and in 2008 she auditioned on UK TV to become the UK entry in The Eurovision Song Contest the following year.
Although she won, she turned down the opportunity to represent her country and was signed soon after by American label Roc Nation, at just 18-years-old.
She also holds the record for the most top 10 hits for a female British artist!
Since then she has become a multi-hyphened celeb, turning her hand to acting, modelling and fashion designing.
She played Christian Grey's sister in the three film adaptations of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy and played the Artful Dodger in the recent big-screen adaption of Oliver Twist.
Aussie return on the cards?
But what is the future for Rita and Australia now she's back in LA?
"Who knows?" she said in the Harpers Bazaar interview. "[Coming back to Australia] is not out of the question.
"I've really enjoyed having my life here, and I've created a couple of great friends.
"Never say never.
"It's definitely not off the table."
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