{"id":56493,"date":"2025-08-10T00:04:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T00:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/56493\/"},"modified":"2025-08-10T00:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-10T00:04:09","slug":"ronan-keating-returning-the-voice-australia-coach-says-this-years-stars-are-best-ive-ever-worked-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/56493\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronan Keating: Returning The Voice Australia coach says this year\u2019s stars are \u2018best I\u2019ve ever worked with\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

From auditioning as a 16-year-old for a spot in Boyzone, to arena shows, going solo, and championing the next wave of singers around the world, life has been one big rollercoaster for returning The Voice Australia coach Ronan Keating.<\/p>\n

In the nine years since he last swivelled his red chair Down Under, the Irishman has enjoyed stints on the UK Kids and Germany\u2019s versions of the hit talent show, but insists the industry stars mentoring this season is unparalleled.<\/p>\n

Keating first rubbed shoulders with Spice Girl Melanie C 30 years ago, has known global singing icon Richard Marx for two decades as a collaborator, and was quick to recognise the talent of Aussie singer Kate Miller-Heidke upon their recent introductions.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the bunch this year is by far the best bunch I\u2019ve ever worked with of all the shows I\u2019ve done,\u201d he told The Sunday Times.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe talent, the legendary status, just the fun that we\u2019re having as coaches together and the chemistry between us all has been brilliant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RonanCamera IconRonan Keating and Richard Marx on The Voice Australia. Credit: Seven Network<\/p>\n

Asked to place a blanket over the foursome\u2019s collection of mastered genres, Keating suggested Marx, Mel and himself were cut from a similar pop-embossed cloth, while Miller-Heidke brought a unique folk flavour that had permeated into the group.<\/p>\n

With his career rooted in shared success, and his long-time pals cut from a similar pop-embossed cloth, the singer pondered how the quartet might stack up on tour together, with Miller-Heidke\u2019s folk flavour also thrown in the mix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we could definitely meet somewhere in that kind of pop folk feel, which would be pretty bloody cool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we could call ourselves Folk Up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now 48, it\u2019s a little frightening to think Keating\u2019s solo chart-topping singles When You Say Nothing At All, and If Tomorrow Never Comes, were released in the late 90s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n

And if that doesn\u2019t make you feel old or nostalgic, it underscores the speed in which emerging stars are forced to grow up amid the music industry\u2019s maelstrom of overnight travel, endless touring, and constant media commitments.<\/p>\n

A recent documentary aired on Channel 7 highlighted the star\u2019s journey from starry-eyed, blonde Dublin teen with charm to international music headliner as a key figure in Boyzone\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

While image, charisma, and saleability arguably held the same value as talent itself at the turn of the century, the industry veteran hopes Australia\u2019s newcomers can strike the right balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about a great voice. You\u2019re looking for character, you\u2019re looking for a voice that you could absolutely pick out on the radio and say that is x, y and z \u2014 that is who that is,\u201d Keating said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo to be defined like that is really what we\u2019re trying to find.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RonanCamera IconRonan Keating on The Voice Australia. Credit: Seven Network<\/p>\n

Nowadays, being a unique performer is rarely enough. Artists are encouraged to maintain an active presence online, drip feeding fans a trail of their whereabouts or latest projects.<\/p>\n

But the singer insists there\u2019s no blueprint to making it big, and offered advice for the next generation: \u201cDon\u2019t follow the crowds\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an artist, you have to be unique. So if you\u2019re copying what someone\u2019s doing on social media, you\u2019re already too late,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tied to Australia by more than just his career, Keating shares children Cooper and Coco with his second wife Storm, an Aussie TV producer whom he met in 2010.<\/p>\n

Marrying in 2015, the pair seek any opportunity to return Down Under when their jet-setting schedule permits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was asked to do The Voice, I thought, absolutely, great for me to be down with the family,\u201d Keating said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I love the culture, I love the people, the climate, the food. There\u2019s just so much to love here.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From auditioning as a 16-year-old for a spot in Boyzone, to arena shows, going solo, and championing the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56494,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[64,63,134,427],"class_list":{"0":"post-56493","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56493","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56493"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56493\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56493"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56493"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56493"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}