What The Voice judge Rita Ora really got up to in Australia

British singer Rita Ora reveals how she spent her time in Australia and how she got along with her fellow celebrity coaches on The Voice.

British singer Rita Ora did her research when she signed up to be a coach on the new season of The Voice Australia alongside fellow coaches Guy Sebastian, Keith Urban and Jessica Mauboy.

“I actually watched Jess in The Sapphires because everyone was like ‘You have to watch this,’” Ora tells Stellar On Friday.

“It was really so insightful to learn so much about [Australian] history, and her voice is unbelievable. I’ve known Guy for a long time in the industry, and of course Keith is Keith. It was cool to be a part of it, I felt so welcomed. I was astounded by the level of talent in the auditions, let alone the coaches.”

Ora, who has been a coach on The Voice UK, flew into Sydney at the start of the year, doing two weeks of quarantine in a luxury hotel.

“I love being back in Australia.” (Picture: Nicholas Wilson)

“I just got on with a lot of work,” she says about that time. “I set up a studio in the hotel room, I read a lot, I recorded a lot of music. Zoom was my best friend.”

Last year, Ora made headlines when she was fined for holding a 30th birthday party in London during lockdown.

Her publicists (sitting in on Stellar On Friday’s Zoom call) have declared this a no-go question zone, as is any discussion of her personal life (Ora is now reportedly dating Kiwi film director Taika Waititi, who she met in Sydney).

However, Ora reveals that she enjoyed her time in Australia so much, she stretched her stay to four months, long after filming for the TV show wrapped.

“I didn’t want to leave,” she enthuses.

“I had the best time, enjoying the weather, the beautiful beaches. The food is unbelievable. Australia is the most amazing place, the most loving, welcoming place. I enjoyed every bit of it, getting in the water, sitting in the sun... I really felt like a true Aussie.”

Ora is grateful The Voice was filmed at a time when Sydney was open and they could have a studio audience.

“I came from a complete lockdown. So to even be able to see a crowd, I was in awe of it all. We were extremely lucky.”

Find more exclusives in this Sunday’s Stellar.

During her stint here, she performed at Mardi Gras – “That changed my life, it was my first gig since the pandemic started” – and wrote and recorded her parts for her new single ‘You For Me’ with UK dance act Sigala.

“There’s more music to come. I’m working on it right now, as well as a bunch of other things,” Ora tells Stellar On Friday.

“I can’t wait to show the world what everyone wants, which is to get away and have some fun, take themselves out of this headspace.”

While the singer plans to watch The Voice from her home in London once it airs here, Ora is also up for returning for the 2022 season.

“If everything makes sense and it can happen, I’d definitely do it again, 100 per cent,” she says.

“I love being back in Australia.”