Australian singer who has joined BBC1 show The Voice says having only one woman on panel stops any stories of 'bitchiness'
Kylie Minogue will return to BBC1 on Saturday as a judge on revamped talent show The Voice, 25 years after she last appeared regularly on the channel in Australian soapNeighbours.
The singer, who has sold 65m albums since she sprang to fame on the teatime soap, is one of two new faces for the third series of the show, along with Kaiser Chiefs star, Ricky Wilson.
In an interview with the new judging lineup on Monday, Minogue revealed that she had turned down the opportunity to star in the first series of the show.
Despite pressure on the BBC to put more women on screen, Minogue, who replaces fellow singer Jessie J as a judge on the show, remains the lone woman on the four-strong panel of "coaches".
Rapper and producer will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones round out the quartet of judges on this season of The Voice.
"I think it works really well, one girl and the three guys, I was more than happy with that," said Minogue. "It stops there being any stories about bitchiness, cattiness, any kind of competition. Maybe it would be interesting to flip it up in another season and have three women and one guy".
Minogue mused that female representation on the judging panel was probably in line with the make-up of the music industry.
"I hope I am giving a voice to the girls, the women who look up to me or anyone like me in the business," she said. "Maybe it's proportionate to what is in the [music] industry."
The 45-year-old, who appeared at a launch event for the new show at the BBC's Broadcasting House on Monday, said her predecessor Jessie J had done a "great job especially for someone so young".
"I considered series one and for whatever reason I said I can't commit to that yet," she said. "I wouldn't even get in the door if we were just talking about voices [compared to Jessie J]. That phenomenal voice and talent and the spunk that she has, I really admire all that. We are completely different characters."
Her sister, Dannii, appeared as a judge on ITV rival The X Factor between 2008 and 2010.
Producers hope to use the reboot of the show to make it warmer and friendlier, with Kaiser Chiefs' Wilson replacing The Script singer Danny O'Donoghue for its third run.
The BBC will wait and see how the new series performs before deciding whether to commission a fourth run, although Minogue's star power is likely to give it an immediate ratings lift.
The Voice also has new presenters, Big Brother host Emma Willis and JLS star Marvin Humes taking over from Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates.
Moved earlier in the schedules this year, The Voice, which has previously gone head to head with ITV's Britain's Got Talent and suffered in the ratings as a result, is likely to avoid a scheduling clash this time around.
Two of the coaches enjoyed a swipe at the Simon Cowell's show without namechecking the ITV series. "If you want to watch a show where people make fools of themselves, then go to other stations," said Wilson. Jones said there was "no shock value" in The Voice.
Minogue first got her big break in the entertainment industry when she was cast as Charlene on long-running Australian soap Neighbours at the age of 18 in 1986.
Her on-screen romance with off-screen childhood sweetheart Jason Donovan, who played the character of Scott, gripped viewers on both sides of the world culminating in a wedding episode the following year that attracted almost 20 million viewers in the UK.
She left the soap in 1988 following the release of dher ebut album, Kylie.
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Kylie Minogue will return to BBC1 on Saturday as a judge on revamped talent show The Voice, 25 years after she last appeared regularly on the channel in Australian soapNeighbours.
The singer, who has sold 65m albums since she sprang to fame on the teatime soap, is one of two new faces for the third series of the show, along with Kaiser Chiefs star, Ricky Wilson.
In an interview with the new judging lineup on Monday, Minogue revealed that she had turned down the opportunity to star in the first series of the show.
Despite pressure on the BBC to put more women on screen, Minogue, who replaces fellow singer Jessie J as a judge on the show, remains the lone woman on the four-strong panel of "coaches".
Rapper and producer will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones round out the quartet of judges on this season of The Voice.
"I think it works really well, one girl and the three guys, I was more than happy with that," said Minogue. "It stops there being any stories about bitchiness, cattiness, any kind of competition. Maybe it would be interesting to flip it up in another season and have three women and one guy".
Minogue mused that female representation on the judging panel was probably in line with the make-up of the music industry.
"I hope I am giving a voice to the girls, the women who look up to me or anyone like me in the business," she said. "Maybe it's proportionate to what is in the [music] industry."
The 45-year-old, who appeared at a launch event for the new show at the BBC's Broadcasting House on Monday, said her predecessor Jessie J had done a "great job especially for someone so young".
"I considered series one and for whatever reason I said I can't commit to that yet," she said. "I wouldn't even get in the door if we were just talking about voices [compared to Jessie J]. That phenomenal voice and talent and the spunk that she has, I really admire all that. We are completely different characters."
Her sister, Dannii, appeared as a judge on ITV rival The X Factor between 2008 and 2010.
Producers hope to use the reboot of the show to make it warmer and friendlier, with Kaiser Chiefs' Wilson replacing The Script singer Danny O'Donoghue for its third run.
The BBC will wait and see how the new series performs before deciding whether to commission a fourth run, although Minogue's star power is likely to give it an immediate ratings lift.
The Voice also has new presenters, Big Brother host Emma Willis and JLS star Marvin Humes taking over from Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates.
Moved earlier in the schedules this year, The Voice, which has previously gone head to head with ITV's Britain's Got Talent and suffered in the ratings as a result, is likely to avoid a scheduling clash this time around.
Two of the coaches enjoyed a swipe at the Simon Cowell's show without namechecking the ITV series. "If you want to watch a show where people make fools of themselves, then go to other stations," said Wilson. Jones said there was "no shock value" in The Voice.
Minogue first got her big break in the entertainment industry when she was cast as Charlene on long-running Australian soap Neighbours at the age of 18 in 1986.
Her on-screen romance with off-screen childhood sweetheart Jason Donovan, who played the character of Scott, gripped viewers on both sides of the world culminating in a wedding episode the following year that attracted almost 20 million viewers in the UK.
She left the soap in 1988 following the release of dher ebut album, Kylie.
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
• To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. Reported by guardian.co.uk 5 days ago.