The waiting is over...here’s The Voice UK Final

Superstar coaches will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones, Anne-Marie and Olly Murs have faced some extremely tough decisions over the past few weeks.

But now the power is well and truly in the viewers’ hands as they decide who will be awarded the title won last year by 18-year-old Blessing Chitapa.

Although the show’s fans can vote tonight, they unfortunately still won’t be able to cheer their favourite on in person, and there will a virtual crowd in place again.

However, if the singers need more reassurance, then host Emma Willis will be on hand to congratulate and commiserate – albeit without her customary hugs for the contestants and their families.

“In the blinds [auditions], it’s the families I can’t console but in the battles it’s them [the contestants], two metres away from me,” Emma told The Sun back in December during filming.

“I feel really bad for them obviously and I carry the guilt of them not going through.”

“I just kept going ‘virtual hugs’ but I’m sure in the gallery they’re probably going, ‘Stop bl**dy saying virtual hugs’.

“I just feel really bad and you can feel the disappointment in some people.”

“For me it’s just a natural thing to give someone a hug and say, ‘I’m really sorry’ – but we live in a COVID world where we can’t hug.”

Following this year’s blind auditions and battle rounds, Team Tom consisted of Mariam Davina, Hannah Williams, Wura, Midé, Benjamin Warner and Leah Cobb.

Will had Jérémy Levif, Janel Antoneshia, BrokenPen, Adeniké, Nadia Eide and Lauren Drew on his team. Anne-Marie was mentoring semi-finalists Leona Jorgensen, Sweeney, Meg Birch, Craig Eddie, Stephanee Leal and Wayne and Morgan. And finally Team Olly comprised of Jordan and Wesley, Grace Holden, Jason Hayles, Andrew Bateup, Nathan Smoker and Joe Topping.

During the last two weeks, those 24 acts have been whittled down to just four – one for each coach. Therefore, it’s going to be another tense evening for the quartet in those iconic spinning chairs, and only one act will be signing a very lucrative recording contract.

Although the coaches are all good friends, make no mistake each of them wants to triumph.

Take Anne-Marie, who only joined the panel this year as a replacement for Meghan Trainor, for example. The Friends singer is used to winning in her life, having been a karate world champion and achieving chart success.

She’s now eyeing The Voice UK glory, and if that means stepping on the toes of her rival judges, then she’s willing to do just that.

“I’m so competitive,” she admits. “I’m determined to stop Olly getting a hat trick, because he’s on for three wins in a row, has that ever been done before?

“So that’s obviously my goal of my whole entire life right now, and I’m going to be dreaming about it and not being able to sleep at the same time.”

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