The Voice 2020: Guy Sebastian admits ‘I didn’t handle it well’

Guy Sebastian has taken to Twitter to express regret for how he behaved during last night’s tense episode of The Voice.

Guy Sebastian has expressed regret for how he handled himself during last night’s tense episode of The Voice, admitting that “it’s something that cuts me”.

Kelly Rowland and Delta Goodrem ripped into Guy last night, claiming he treated a contestant “unfairly”.

Sunday night’s episode featured ‘The Battles’ stage of the competition, where coaches put two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of the studio audience.

Once the coach has picked their favourite and sent that singer through to the next round, the other coaches have an opportunity to use one of only two “saves” they each have to pick up the singer that was eliminated.

Guy chose Bukhu Ganburged to take on teammate Johnny Manuel, who is one of this season’s favourites to win.

Bukhu wowed the judges in his ‘Blind Audition’ with his Mongolian throat singing which allows him to produce two or more notes simultaneously, but fans had questioned how he would fare in later rounds when he was required to sing lyrics.

You can't unhear this... The most unbelievable Blind Audition we've EVER seen 🤯 #TheVoiceAU pic.twitter.com/1tvhWP7dVd

— The Voice Australia (@TheVoiceAU) May 26, 2020

Okay yes whatever Bukhu did was pretty incredible but how do you market that? You can’t exactly give him horses by Darryl Braithwaite #TheVoiceAU

— Dylan Matthews (@DylanMatthews91) May 26, 2020

Not sure how much further Bukhu can go this season. But sheesh. Any chance he can come around every night & sing me to sleep with some of that stuff🎧#TheVoiceAU

— JD⛈🏉💜 (@JDSloane) May 26, 2020

Binge is Australia’s new streaming service offering the best drama, entertainment and movies from the world’s best creators. New to Binge? Get your two week free trial, sign up at binge.com.au

Guy chose Michael Jackson’s Earth Song for the pair to perform, with Johnny singing the bulk of the lyrics and Bukhu providing a backing melody with his throat singing and playing his horse fiddle.

After the stirring performance, Delta accused Guy of picking a song that she felt was designed purely to let Johnny shine rather than both singers.

“How was this a battle because it felt like Bukhu was your backing player,” Delta said to Johnny and Guy. “I didn’t at all feel it was fair. Bukhu was backing you and that was it.”

Kelly agreed with Delta, but Guy argued that Bukhu made it through to the ‘Battles’ round because of his unique throat singing skill, not because of his actual singing voice.

“Just so I’m clear,” he said to his fellow judges, “you guys turned around for Bukhu (in the Blind Auditions) for his vocals?”

“Let’s be real,” he continued. “I turned around because there was something unique about Bukhu, but it’s his throat singing and his playing and his insane musicianship.

“What’s unfair is if I get Bukhu to sing up against Johnny,” Guy said.

Bukhu and Johnny watch on awkwardly as the coaches rip into Guy Sebastian.

Delta refused to back down, saying: “Right now we are in a ‘Battle’ and it’s about giving a song that is fair to both artists.”

But Guy suggested Bukhu was happy with the arrangement of the song they had just performed.

“Bukhu doesn’t put his hand up and say to me that he’s a singer as a pop singer,” Guy said. “He’s not trying to out sing Johnny, so why would I put him in a position where he doesn’t shine in his best light?”

Host Darren McMullen then asked Bukhu if he felt Guy’s song choice was unfair to him, and the 35-year-old threw his coach under the bus by saying, “Honestly, I don’t know actually”.

As the coaches continued to squabble, Kelly again accused Guy of breaking the rules this season and then stormed off the set after telling the Aussie coach she didn’t want to continue the argument.

“I’m not gonna go back and forth with you, Guy, I’m not doing this,” she said as she walked backstage.

Kelly storms off the set.

“What’s a walk off gonna do?” Guy said to Kelly. “It’s so disrespectful.”

Kelly heard the comment from backstage and yelled back angrily: “No, you’re disrespectful, you’re disrespectful! In that case don’t put them together!”

Viewers will have to wait until to night’s episode to see which artist Guy chooses to move through to the ‘Playoffs’ round and if anyone chooses to save the artist he eliminates.

After the episode aired, Guy took to Twitter and admitted that he didn’t handle the situation with Bukhu and the clash with Kelly very well.

He wrote: “There is a lot that people don’t see on this show including mentoring and follow up phone calls with the artists. I am disappointed that I didn’t just cop it on the chin and bring focus back to the artists.”

He continued: “It was a challenge having someone like Bukhu and I admit that it seemed vocally unbalanced. I wanted them both 2 shine & thought that showcasing Bukhu’s musicianship was the way 2 do it. He is exceptional and I’m sad that this went down the way it did due to my choice.

“It’s something that cuts me & I didn’t handle it well.”

The Voice continues on Channel 9 at 7.30pm on Monday