Anybody who thought The Voice's troubles were firmly put to bed with the roll of the credits on the first series' finale can think again.
The Voice - a deafening silence?
Today, The Sun reports that an audition session for the second series of the talent show had to be shelved when only five people bothered to turn up for their shot at stardom.
Voice producers have been quick to emphasise that this open mike session was not an official audition for the show - that came the following day and was better attended. But, the problem remains - the spark of ignition the show needs if it is to have a successful rebirth during Series 2 has not had the best of starts.
Four judges were in attendance for the first series - how many will return?
This news comes at the same time of reports that judges Sir Tom Jones and Jessie J will not be renewing their contracts to sit on their judges' thrones.
The Mirror reports the chart star and her fellow judge Tom have decided against signing up for season two, with Jessie instead opting to book concerts when filming dates are due to take place - this after the Price Tag singer angered Voice bosses by calling the show "lame" during an interview.
A BBC spokesperson says that talks with the four mentors are "ongoing".
Previously, the concert tour giving all Series 1 finalists a chance to flaunt their wares had to be cancelled due to insufficient ticket sales, and even series champion Leanne Walsh failed to make more than a murmur on the chart with her debut single, in contrast to a catalogue of X Factor winners whom have frequently hit the number one spot, helped by their Saturday night exposure to potential fans.
These problems come after the first series limped to an embarrassing end, weeks punctuated by Holly Willoughby apologising for a contestant's swearing, and Reggie Yates doing less and less in the 'interactive' room.
All in all, it's an indisputably damp squib of a return for BBC1 controller Danny Cohen's reported £22 million investment.
His team have promised a major format refurbishment after the plummet in ratings suffered by the show during its first season. After the initial novelty of the spinning chairs wore off, it was very much same old talent show business but without the nastiness we've come to expect and enjoy from judges ranging from Nigel Lythgoe, Pete Waterman to the guru of killjoys Simon Cowell.
The only good thing so far to come out of the whole Voice business is the burgeoning musical partnership between Danny O'Donoghue of The Script and his fellow judge Will.i.am. The pair have put their heads together and come up with a tune, Hall of Fame, a place not inhabited by any Voice wannabes any time soon.
The Voice finalists in action...
