"The Voice Kids" returns for its twelfth season on French broadcaster TF1 on Saturday, August 22, at 9:10 p.m., with around 60 children aged 6 to 15 competing for a place on the show.
Producer Pascal Guix promised "cuteness in every direction" for the new run, and the production said this edition would be marked by exceptionally young talents performing at a high level.
Coaching lineup
The panel of coaches remains unchanged from last year, with Patrick Fiori, Santa, Soprano and M. Pokora all returning to their red chairs. The season's new addition is singer Styleto, who will work backstage with the young candidates, accompanying and reassuring them before they perform on stage.
Host Nikos Aliagas said Styleto sees and feels everything, and does not play a role. He said she shares what she feels, that she adores the children, and that they adore her in return.
Guest stars and Marine as coach
Several guest personalities are set to appear throughout the season, including Philippe Lacheau, Jeff Panacloc, Damien Sargue, Cecilia Cara, Lennie and Elsa Bois, as well as Marine.
Marine, the winner of the singing competition "Star Academy", was herself a candidate on "The Voice Kids" years ago. She has been invited back as an "exceptional coach" for the groups stage of the competition.
Guix said the production had kept this test from last year because it produced a brilliant moment, giving the coaches free rein to create spectacular staging. He said Marine came to share moments with the young performers and experienced strong emotions during the segment.
New secret challenges
Among this season's innovations, each coach will be given a secret forfeit to impose on their fellow coaches whenever they choose. Guix described several of the new devices:
- The "shaker" spins the red chairs around.
- The "voice troll" alters the coaches' voices, making M. Pokora sound like a chipmunk.
- The "mime" forces coaches to argue their case without speaking.
- The "top chrono" gives coaches only a few seconds to convince a young talent to join their team.
Guix said the aim was to give the coaches extra resources to have fun on set. He said the result would be the most intense and craziest season of "The Voice Kids" to date.
