‘The Voice’ reject Bob Blakeley thinks the show’s judges picked "shoddy" singers over "good" ones.
Coaches will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Sir Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson expressed regret for not turning around as the former cab driver gave a rousing performance of ‘Cry Me a River’ during the blind auditions of the latest series and Bob – who has had the last laugh by landing a record deal – believes they were "overcautious" in their selections.
He said: "I just thought they were overcautious, the judges, really. They let a lot of us go, good singers … and let some go through, who to be fair, were pretty shoddy. They were flat when they were singing."
Despite not advancing in the competition, Bob has praised ‘The Voice’ staff for treating him like a "human being" after a bad experience auditioning for rival show ‘The X Factor’.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I’d had a go at ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and ‘The X Factor’, and the last time I did have a go, I was treated pretty shoddily at ‘The X Factor’.
"Me and my wife, we went to Old Trafford, and we got there at 10 o’clock in the morning and it was at about 10-to-10 at night that we got seen. I managed to get through to the next day, went in this room, and there was this young girl sat there – I’d say she was between 19 and 24, 25 – and as soon as I sang my song, she put her hand up. She said, ‘I’m sorry, you’re not what we’re looking for.’
"’The Voice’ people and staff treat you like a human being – they treat you like family, that’s how good they are. Every single one of them treat you really well."
Bob has also warned that pop princess Kylie’s departure from the BBC singing competition could be "detrimental" if bosses fail to secure another big star to replace her.
He added: "She’s got her own business to take care of. But it will be detrimental to the programme – she’s a massive, massive star. You’ve got to get a big name, they’ve got to be on the same sort of level as Kylie."
Bob’s debut album ‘Performance’ is out on May 19.
Bob Blakeley: The Voice judges picked ‘shoddy’ singers
