Will.i.am thinks The Voice UK is better without Jessie J

Black Eyed Peas singer and The Voice coach Will.i.am has claimed that UK panel is now “warmer” and “more caring” with Kylie Minogue on the panel as opposed to Jessie J.

Aussie popstar Kylie joins the panel this year alongside Ricky Wilson, with the pair replacing Jessie and Danny O’Donoghue.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s first audition episode, Will said of filming the third series: “It has been warmer. It has been more caring.

“The first two seasons, we cared about the contestants, but it was different.

“This time, Kylie is like a mediator. She is too snuggable. I want to cuddle her. I can’t go tit for tat with her. I am more likely to say ‘let me just give you the singer then.’ I am not going to fight for it, as I just want to snuggle with her!”

The Black Eyed Peas star continued about the reality tv show to gush: “Kylie is a great coach, not just for the girls but also for all the dudes who want to be a pop star. It’s something we didn’t have in the first two seasons. We didn’t have someone who has the stripes and badges for ‘I know how to get to pop status and keep pop status’. And so Kylie is definitely the queen of that.

“Ricky is for all the rebels in the audience who want to know how to start from nothing and build something on their own…”

But Will insisted he did miss sitting next to Jessie and Danny in their huge red chairs, adding: “I miss them but I talk to Danny a lot. We still work together. He and I produced ‘Now That I Found You’ with David Guetta for Britney. We still write together. I didn’t call him for Gaga but, if say, I am working for someone like Britney, I will give him a call.”

And asked who he thought was the better coach between Jessie and Kylie, Will have praise for both artists and concluded diplomatically: “You can’t compare.”

The Voice UK starts this Saturday night on BBC One with the first blind auditions from 7PM.