Seven is eyeing off a massive star to fill one of the iconic red swivel chairs of The Voice next year, and if there's any truth in the rumour, it's set to be a drama-filled season. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, none other than Mariah Carey is on Seven's list of potential judges.
The publication even went as far as to claim Seven West Media chief executive James Warburton was in the process of finalising negotiations with Carey, after it was reported the network plans to spend more money on the show's big name replacements rather than "B-listers".
The 50-year-old singer and former fiancee of Crown Casino billionaire James Packer is on the brink of a publicity wave, with her new memoir The Meaning Of Mariah Carey coming out tomorrow. No stranger to talent contests, Carey's stint as judge on American Idol in 2013 spawned her headline-grabbing feud with Nicki Minaj.
Seven did not respond to news.com.au's request for comment on the Mariah Carey whispers. Last month, the network announced it had secured rights to the singing competition over its rivals, prompting a catty response from Nine.
"Unfortunately due to the age of the show and 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 spokesman said.
Since the announcement, uncertainty has swirled surrounding who will replace judges Kelly Rowland, Boy George, Delta Goodrem and Guy Sebastian – or whether they'll be replaced at all.
It now seems likely that Goodrem, 35, will leave the show after a "salary conflict" arose, as reported by The Daily Telegraph. The singer is estimated to earn between $1 million to $2 million a year, which is within the network's price range, as the publication reports.
Seven is allegedly in talks with other local artists to join the panel, alongside Guy Sebastian, 38, who they are likely to re-sign. The Daily Telegraph also reported earlier this month that Seven was "set to axe coaches Boy George and Kelly Rowland" to cut costs.
Boy George himself had earlier addressed the rumours first fuelled by New Idea that he was to be dumped when the show moves networks. Offering up several oh-so-Boy-George pearlers on Twitter, he told one follower that Seven "can't afford me darling".
Advised to "hang in there" by one fan, he quipped: "Yeah I'm down to my last jar of metaphorical caviar. Can I move into your spare bedroom?"
The Daily Telegraph recently reported that the network felt Nine "spent too much on B-listers" and would rather spend money on big name replacements. "One of the big changes Seven plans to make is how much is being spent on coaches," a source close to The Voice reportedly claimed.
The Daily Telegraph made no mention of Carey, instead revealing the network was "in talks" with R & B artist Usher, Kylie Minogue and Jessica Mauboy as potential replacements. Meanwhile, Sonia Kruger, 55, will return to her hosting duties for the show in 2021 after defecting from Nine to Seven last year.
(News.com.au)
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