EXCLUSIVE: The Aussie musician teases what fans can expect from the Channel 7 series

Kate Miller-Heidke teases what fans can expect from this year’s season of The Voice. Photos: Channel 7

The Voice Australia is set to return on Sunday night with a brand new group of superstar coaches joining Kate Miller-Heidke in the iconic red chairs. The fourteenth season will see Ronan Keating return to the series after a nine-year hiatus alongside Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Richard Marx and former Spice Girl Melanie C as they search for Australia’s next singing sensation.

Kate Miller-Heidke tells Yahoo Lifestyle ahead of the premiere that her experience filming this year’s season was exceptionally different to the last, and not just because of the new faces on set. She explains that she was much more comfortable in her coaching role this time around and felt like she could finally be herself.

“The first year was such a steep learning curve, and I was nervous. I was s**tting myself. I couldn’t help but feel this sort of impostor syndrome like, ‘God, do I really belong here next to all these massively famous people?’,” she recalls.

“But when it came to this year, I was the only returning coach, so the other three were all new, and they were actually asking me for advice, which was a strange situation to find myself in.”

 

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Kate adds that her newfound confidence allowed her to trust her instincts more when it came to pushing the buzzer in the Blind Auditions.

“If I got a feeling that was undeniable, I just went for it, and I don’t think I had to edit myself so much,” she continues. “I just felt really comfortable saying exactly what was on my mind and trusting my instincts, which is kind of what the show’s all about.”

Melanie C, Richard Marx, Kate Miller-Heidke, and Ronan Keating are this year’s coaches on The Voice Australia. Photo: Channel 7

‘The most starstruck I’ve ever been’

Speaking about her fellow coaches, Kate shares that it was “incredible” working alongside musicians she holds in such high regard.

“I was such a massive Richard Marx fan when I was a kid, that song ‘Hazard’ was massive for me and really influential,” she details. “And obviously, I mean, Melanie C is a real-life Spice Girl, so just the first time meeting her, I could barely draw breath. It was possibly the most starstruck I’ve ever been.

“They’re all just so lovely and warm and generous, just some of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet. And it was really, really fun this year. We just clicked so quickly, and none of them, even for an instant, made me feel like I didn’t belong there with them. I just love them all.”

Kate admits she cannot wait for Australia to be introduced to a brand new group of “incredible” singers, who she describes as “a mixed bag of lollies”.

“You never know what’s going to come up next,” she remarks. “There are all different styles of singing and styles of storytelling, all different ages and genres. It’s endlessly entertaining.”