Boy George is coming back for The Voice Australia, but there’s some things he won’t put up with

Culture Club frontman Boy George has a list of no-no’s for the aspirants keen to win this year’s competition on The Voice.

Boy George came to cause trouble. Again.

Fronting up for his third season as a coach on The Voice in Australia — alongside Kelly Rowland, Delta Goodrem and new recruit Guy Sebastian — the Culture Club frontman erupts into laughter as he recalls a moment of stoking disharmony among his rivals.

“There was a situation a couple of weeks ago when I wasn’t able to turn my chair around and it was down to Delta and Guy,” he says with a beaming Cheshire cat grin.

“I was like ‘Go with Delta, go with Delta.’

Afterwards Delta thanked me and I told her I wasn’t being helpful, I was just causing trouble. We’re here for some of our opinions.”

As has long been suspected among the show’s critics, Boy George is firmly of the belief this is what The Voice is all about.

Forget about finding the next big thing in Australian music within a two-minute performance — the drama between the coaches has always been more likely to drive water cooler chatter and social media engagement than a gifted singer and their heartstring-tugging backstory.

Boy George argues it isn’t simply a case of nasty versus nice, despite that being the overarching narrative of reality television in the past decade.

“I don’t think The Voice is that kind of show. We argue with each other. We’re artists who have all had a degree of experience so the view is if you can give it, you can take it,” he says.

Boy George, coach on Nine's reality talent series, The Voice. Picture: Supplied

“And we don’t attack the artist or performers. We are not ever about being cruel. But arguing and disagreement between us is really the whole point of the show.

That annoys me when there’s too much creeping … when someone is having a go but being too nice about it. I feel like my role is the agent provocateur and I will get in there sometimes just to cause trouble.”

As a ratings driver, the reality talent quest has suffered a steep decline, with last year’s finale — when Sam Perry was crowned the winner — well down on the 3.2 million viewers who first tuned in to see Karise Eden take the inaugural 2012 title.

For the 57-year-old, his decision to rejoin The Voice was about the fun of it.

“That’s the only reason I do anything now … the fun is in the doing,” he says.

“Actually I say to people on the show, this is the prize, what you are doing right now, each performance.”

But the deeply spiritual singer adds there is also “some kind of psychological aspect to what we do on the show.”

“Call it therapy, call it love, call it experience, call it whatever you want but it’s about saying what I have to say could help you. And that may not be about teaching them how to be a singer.”

Singer, TV star and DJ Boy George. Picture: Supplied

He has a list of no-no’s for the aspirants in this year’s competition.

Vocal affectations that mimic the artists the contestants are covering are out.

Cockiness is out and so too fake humility.

Kindness to those who share their vulnerability — or juicy backstory — is in; but what he is primarily looking for isn’t so much the greatest singer as it is the best package.

“I would argue you can’t separate a person from what they sing and what they wear and how they feel and what their politics are, whether social politics or sexual politics; I think all of that stuff is really important,” he says.

“And to me that is really what makes an artist, which is very different from a performer. You can have someone who is a great performer and doesn’t write their own songs and that’s not less. But I come from putting a band together and living who I am 24 hours a day, not just on stage singing a song.”

Boy George and Culture Club. Picture: Supplied

He may possess a naturally acerbic wit but Boy George also claims to be a nicer and happier person in 2019 than when he was at the height of his 80s fame.

He quotes the lyrics of David Bowie’s song Fame as a cautionary tale and shares that meditation, yoga, healthy eating and retail therapy have improved his perspective on life.

The ongoing success of Culture Club’s renaissance — who have toured here for the past three years — is also at play in his quest to strike deeper connections with fans and his work.

“Live shows are really where you get the direct contact, get to show them who you are now, and that’s great for me because I am a very different person to who I was 20 years ago, 30 years ago,” he explains.

“The way I feel about myself and my craft is completely different and I’m always questioning what I can do to improve it.”

* The Voice, 7.00pm, Sunday, May 19 on Nine.