Delta Goodrem reveals why she left The Voice

She was The Voice’s longest-running coach, but Delta Goodrem exited the show when it dramatically changed networks last year. Now she explains why.

Delta Goodrem has opened up about her surprise departure from The Voice in a new interview, revealing she was keen to “find a new chapter creatively” after eight seasons on the show.

Goodrem served as a coach on The Voice from season one back in 2012, skipping season three and then returning until season nine in 2020.

But then, The Voice took an unexpected turn, as rival network Seven poached the series last year when the Nine Network failed to exercise its option to pick up the show within the required time frame.

Only Guy Sebastian (far right) made the leap when The Voice changed networks.

After months of speculation, a new coaching panel was revealed – and while previous coaches Guy Sebastian and Keith Urban had made the leap across networks, Goodrem was nowhere to be seen.

“[The Voice] took up a lot of the year for me but I loved the show,” Goodrem says in a new interview for marie claire’s January issue, out this Thursday.

“I gave it my absolute everything. I gave the artists everything I had. I was there from the very start and I was proud to be an anchor on the show.”

Delta Goodrem’s new mag cover. Picture: Holly Ward for marie claire

“It’s time for me to find a new chapter creatively.” Picture: Holly Ward for marie claire

But when Goodrem hit the 150-episode mark, she knew it was time to move on.

“In my heart I was like ‘thank you for this, now let’s finish the season, then it’s time for me to find a new chapter creatively’,” she told marie claire.

After nine seasons and slowly declining ratings, the show’s 10th season was a surprise success for Channel 7 – and a bitter blow for Nine, who had released a pointed statement insisting they were happy for Seven to take the show off their hands.

“Unfortunately due to the age of the show and its declining demographic profile, The Voice had become by far the poorest financial performer on our slate. We wish Seven well in their quest to revive yet another Nine show,” a Nine spokesperson said at the time of the dramatic poaching.

Delta Goodrem: “Living boldly is how I want to approach my life.” Picture: Holly Ward for marie claire

Goodrem’s exit from The Voice gave her more time to focus on music - with her latest album, Bridge Over Troubled Dreams, hitting number one in May this year. A national tour to support the record - delayed several times due to Covid lockdowns - is finally scheduled to take place in March next year.

“I’ve been proud of being my authentic self the whole way through my career. Living boldly is how I want to approach my life and, for now, first and foremost, that means getting back on stage and doing live music,” she told the mag.

Read Delta Goodrem’s full interview in the January issue of marie claire, out Thursday December 16.