X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne calls The Voice a ‘gimmick’ and says its contestants are ‘toads’

X FACTOR judge Sharon Osbourne has a theory on why The Voice is yet to produce a global superstar — and she isn’t mincing her words.

EVEN those blessed with a photographic memory would struggle to conjure up singers that have come out of The Voice.

While the singing show generally kills it in the ratings, as soon as the winner receives their crown and a week of their single playing on the radio, they almost always fade into obscurity.

Plenty of celebrities, including the show’s judges Seal and Boy George, have hypothesised why exactly The Voice appears to be cursed but none have said it more candidly than the famously loudmouthed Sharon Osbourne.

Osbourne has offered up a theory as to why The Voice hasn’t produced any huge stars. Picture: Anthony Devlin

The British TV personality, who has spent a number of years judging The Voice’s rival X Factor in the UK, had some harsh words for the singing competition.

The 64-year-old recently sat down with Radio Timesalongside her fellow X Factor judge Louis Walsh to explain why The Voice is notoriously unsuccessful — and she definitely didn’t mince her words.

“The Voice is a gimmick with the twisty chairs. I love the judges and if I was asked to do it and didn’t have The X Factor, course I’d do it,” she told the publication.

“But you cannot judge talent on voice alone because if Mick Jagger was up there nobody would turn around. It’s not just about the voice. They have all these toads up there and I’m sorry half of them are backing singers.

“That’s why no stars have come from the show,” she ended.

Seal, Kelly Rowland, Boy George and Delta Goodrem judged the last season of The Voice Australia. Picture: Supplied/Channel 9

Walsh agreed with Osbourne’s straight-up review of the show, claiming X Factor is a better format.

“The panel on The Voice UK are good — I’m a big fan of Tom Jones, but The X Factor is a much better show,” he said.

And while Osbourne’s words are no doubt a slap in the face for anyone who’s ever found success on The Voice, it definitely isn’t the first time the TV personality has taken aim at talent show contestants.

In an interview with Conan O’Brien last year, The Talk host explained her view on talent shows in general.

“They’ve all got something wrong — they’ve either got one lung, one kidney, or they came out like this or like that and they’ve all got somebody sick in hospital,” she told Conan of the endless line of Susan Boyles being rolled out on stage.

“And it’s like, oh Lord, just shut up and sing. But then when they sing, it’s like, please stop it. I can’t take it any more. And it doesn’t matter whether the chair revolves or you look at them or you don’t look at them — because they’re making it like it’s just “the voice”.

“Everything that matters is the voice”. Well hold on here, that’s great when you’re butt f*ckin ugly and you’re, like, 9000 pounds — what the f*ck are we gonna do with you?” she famously said.

And while Osbourne no doubt has her views on The Voice, she isn’t the only celebrity to speculate why the show can’t produce a star.

In an interview with Confidential earlier this year, The Voice Australia judge Boy George offered up another theory — we aren’t embracing new music.

“The difference between a hit and a non-hit is repetition — if you hear something on the radio over and over and over it sticks to your cranium,” he said.

“We live in an age where with, hit records, you hear the same thing over and over and it’s like Chinese torture, it’s like ‘for God’s sake I don’t need to hear this again’. Not just in Australia but around the world. There’s so much stuff that doesn’t get space on the shelf and that’s because we live in the age of formula,” he added.

Boy George on the set of The Voice.

While the Channel 9 reality singing series hasn’t been without its success stories, the winners of the past six seasons — Karise Eden, Harrison Craig, Anja Nissen, Ellie Drennan, Alfie Arcuri and Jonah — haven’t enjoyed lasting fame in line with their public popularity on the show.

And overseas is the exact same story.

X Factor on the other hand has produced plenty of global, bankable superstars.

Bands like One Direction, Little Mix and Fifth Harmony all got their start with The X Factor franchise as well as singers including Leona Lewis, Olly Murs and James Arthur.

One Direction rose to fame on The X Factor UK. Picture: Kevin Winter

Originally published as X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne calls The Voice a ‘gimmick’ and says its contestants are ‘toads’