Add Liss Jones to The Voice UK Selections

The third of the blind auditions shows was aired on Saturday night, and another six artists were selected by the four coaches. Rita Ora and Tom Jones picked up two more acts each to add to their teams, while will.i.am and Ricky added one more artist each to their portfolio’s. So who was the best performer this week? And are there any value bets to be had among the latest draft of contenders?

Although no-one completely blew us away, there were a few very good performances, and Liss Jones caught the eye as one of the artists who has plenty of potential to progress in the competition. We’ve already backed Lucy O’Byrne at a big price, and Rita Ora to be the winning coach, and we’re going to add Liss Jones to our early selections. Let’s take a look through the odds for the latest set of artists to join the show.

Emmanuel Nwamadi – 13.00Bet €100 to win €130012/1Bet £100 to win £1300+1200Bet $100 to win $130012.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$130012.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp1300-0.0833Bet RM100 to win RM1300  with William Hill, Ladbrokes and Boylesports

Originally from Nigeria, Emmanuel now lives in London and is studying Commercial Music Performance at the University of Westminster. He played guitar as he sang his own excellent version of Sade’s ‘The Sweetest Taboo’. His was definitely one of the best performances of the night, and it was something of a surprise that Ricky was the only coach to turn his chair. Ricky will have been perfectly happy with that though, and as the only act he added to his team on the night, he must be pleased with his choice. There might have been some early value at the prices on Saturday night, but those odds were quickly snapped up and he’s now trading at 13.00Bet €100 to win €130012/1Bet £100 to win £1300+1200Bet $100 to win $130012.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$130012.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp1300-0.0833Bet RM100 to win RM1300

Daniel Duke – 26.00Bet €100 to win €260025/1Bet £100 to win £2600+2500Bet $100 to win $260025.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$260025.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp2600-0.0400Bet RM100 to win RM2600  with Skybet, Totesport and Betfred

Daniel Duke was another very interesting artist, who’s unique take on The Proclaimers ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ was rather beautiful and haunting at the same time. At one stage it looked like he wasn’t going to get any interest, then at the last minute Rita, will.i.am and Sir Tom all turned their chairs to give the young singer his choice of coach. He opted for Team Tom, and although it was desperately sad to see his twin brother fail to get a turn in his audition, Daniel could go well in the competition. Perhaps the only worry is that he may be ‘typecast’ to a degree with his brand of music, and he might struggle when it comes to the battle round.

Esmee Denters – 13.00Bet €100 to win €130012/1Bet £100 to win £1300+1200Bet $100 to win $130012.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$130012.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp1300-0.0833Bet RM100 to win RM1300  with Skybet, Totesport and Betfred

Esmee Denters was another interesting performer, and her version of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’ was enough to make each of the coaches spin in their chairs. It transpired that she was one of the original ‘Youtube Stars’ and had been signed to Justin Timberlake’s label, even having a top ten UK single. Alas the label quickly dropped her when her album was less than successful, and she now lives in London and works in a frozen yoghurt shop of all places. It was interesting that will.i.am could remember speaking to her way back in 2008, while Rita Ora also recognised her from her earlier ‘fame’. She elected to join Team Will, and certainly gives him a strong contender. However, the fact that she has already had her shot at fame might just count against her as the show continues.

Liss Jones – 17.00Bet €100 to win €170016/1Bet £100 to win £1700+1600Bet $100 to win $170016.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$170016.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp1700-0.0625Bet RM100 to win RM1700  with Skybet, Totesport and Betfred

Liss Jones was another stand-out on the night…eventually. she chose to perform Katie Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ and after a wobbly start, she really came into her own and belted out the tune. It was enough to make Ricky, Tom, and Rita turn their chairs, and Rita went a little gushy by sitting at Liss’s feet in admiration, literally. If that was the plan to win her over it certainly worked, as Liss chose to join Team Rita over Ricky (who gave her a hankie to wipe her tears away) and Tom (who must have thought he had a good chance, with Liss hailing from Wales). She strikes us as the kind of artist that will be happy for Rita to mould her as she wishes, and could get better and better as the show goes on. At a decent price, she’s worth adding to our selections at this stage of proceedings.

Joe Woolford –34.00Bet €100 to win €340033/1Bet £100 to win £3400+3300Bet $100 to win $340033.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$340033.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp3400-0.0303Bet RM100 to win RM3400  with Totesport, Ladbrokes and Coral

Joe Woolford chose a strange cover when he took on Ellie Goulding’s ‘Lights’, but it worked out for him as Rita, Ricky and Tom all turned their chairs for him. Another hailing from Wales, Joe is a PE teacher back home, and although he had a sketchy start his audition improved as he went along. He chose to join Team Rita, perhaps on her suggestion that they could ‘make beautiful music together’! But he’s another who could improve as the show goes on, and in fairness if he is to win the competition he will probably have to.

Stephanie Webber – 34.00Bet €100 to win €340033/1Bet £100 to win £3400+3300Bet $100 to win $340033.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$340033.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp3400-0.0303Bet RM100 to win RM3400  with Skybet, Totesport and Betfred

Stephanie Webber was the first performer of the night, and brought a Country and Western feel to the show with her version of ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ by Miranda Lambert. It was an enjoyable performance but her vocals seemed to leave a little to be desired, and it was something of a surprise that all of the coaches turned. Yet another Welsh artist, she chose to go with Team Tom, and that was probably the best decision for someone who may not be as contemporary as some of the other artists. It will be interesting to see what Tom can do with her, but at this stage it’s hard to see her winning the show outright.

Tips Summary

There were several good performances this week, although none had the real ‘wow’ factor of current favourite Stevie McCrorie. However, it’s a long competition and there’s plenty of time for the artists to improve. Liss Jones strikes us as the type who suffered heavily from nerves, but now she’s through she could go on to better things.

To Win The Voice UK

Liss Jones – 17.00Bet €100 to win €170016/1Bet £100 to win £1700+1600Bet $100 to win $170016.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$170016.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp1700-0.0625Bet RM100 to win RM1700  with Skybet, Totesport and Betfred