Sound familiar? The Voice auditions Kavana, Danny from Hear’Say and Cleo from Cleopatra

Sound familiar? The Voice auditions Kavana, Danny from Hear’Say and Cleo from Cleopatra

IT’S the BBC’s big Saturday night show... but viewers watching the return of The Voice could be forgiven for thinking they have seen it all before.

Just days before the return of judges will.i.am, Tom Jones, Danny O’Donoghue, and the newly-blonde-haired Jessie J, a row has broken out over allowing “has-beens” to audition.

Former or fading singers taking part in series two include 90s pop singer Kavana, Danny from Hear’Say, Cleo Higgins from Cleopatra and soul singer Nate James.

BBC sources say there are several more former “faces” to come â€" and insiders at ITV are claiming this proves the show is “bereft of any originality”.

The channel has now scheduled Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway up against The Voice, in the hope it will stop the show “dead in its tracks”.

An ITV insider said: “We are quietly conf ident that Ant and Dec will blow the competition away.

"Why anyone would want to watch former stars is anyone’s guess.

"These shows should be about finding a star out of the blue not resurrecting former pop glory.”

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But a BBC source hit back: “There are over a hundred people in the live auditions and only a handful with careers behind them â€" and not all of those get through.”

Kavana, who had hits with I Can Make You Feel Good and MFEO in the 1990s, has tweeted about taking part in the show.

“Few things, I need to get off my chest... you’ll see me on TV soon. On The Voice, BBC One,” he wrote.

Nate James released his debut album in 2005 and was nominated for two MOBO awards, but ­commercial appeal has eluded him.

However, a source from The Voice says he will be “one to watch” this series.

The insider said: “Nate will be a revelation. The future is massive for him and he is a cut above the others with careers behind them.”

In the first series of The Voice, Sean Conlon from 5ive and Deniece Pearson from Five Star auditioned, but neither made the live shows.

The Voice returns to BBC on Saturday at 7pm

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