Singer Jason Derulo to replace Keith Urban on The Voice Australia

An American pop star is heading Down Under to join Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy as the new coach on The Voice Australia.

Keith Urban.

Chart-topping pop star Jason Derulo has been named as Keith Urban’s replacement on The Voice Australia.

The American singer will arrive on our shores in the coming weeks to sit beside fellow coaches Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy on the talent show’s famous red swivel chairs – and he can’t wait to find the next best thing in music.

“I’m super, super duper competitive, almost unhealthily competitive,” Derulo, 33, said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph. “I will bring a global perspective. These are obviously musicians from Australia but the way that the music industry has changed, there’s no rules anymore.”

“So just because you’re from a specific country doesn’t mean that you are pigeonholed to just that country. I think more so than ever, the lines have been blurred so there’s an opportunity for a global star to come out of this.”

Jason Derulo will arrive in Australia in coming weeks to kick off The Voice blind auditions. Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for JBL.

Jason Derulo is no stranger to our shores, performing here at Royal Randwick Race Course in 2017. Picture: AAP Image/David Moir

The Voice Australia has had a revolving door of judges since it was launched in Australia in 2012. The original coaches included Delta Goodrem, Seal, Joel Madden and the aforementioned Keith Urban. Since then, the likes of Ricky Martin, Kylie Minogue, Jessie J and Ronan Keating have graced the panel,

There was a further revamp in 2021 when the show deflected from Nine to Seven, with Urban, Sebastian, Ora and Mauboy fronting the new-look show.

Jason Derulo joins coaches Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Maubo on The Voice. Picture: Instagtram/The Voice Australia

Derulo will join season 12 of The Voice Australia, which airs on Seven later this year. Urban, his predecessor, appeared on the show for three seasons and was part of the program’s relaunched format in 2021 when it moved from Nine to Seven.

However, due to touring commitments, Urban is unable to sign on for a fourth season. But the country music star, who has served as judge on American Idol from 2012 to 2016, has not ruled out a return in the future, if his schedule permits.

Keith Urban stepped away from The Voice to focus on his world tour and upcoming 12th studio album. Picture: Brett Schewitz/Rod Laver Arena

“I actually don’t think of it as the end of a chapter at all because I love doing the show,” he told The Sunday Telegraph last year.

“I love the fact that those last two seasons happened and were able to happen for me because I had a blast doing it. I feel very close to everybody on the set and hopefully the door can stay open because I would jump back in a heartbeat.”

“Unfortunately the timing of it means that I won’t be able to come back for this next season of The Voice,” he added. “I will be finishing this album, put it out and then we will be resuming our [Las] Vegas residency, which we hadn’t been able to do through the pandemic.”

Originally published as Singer Jason Derulo to replace Keith Urban on The Voice Australia