Previous The Voice UK Winners
- 2021: Craig Eddie
- 2020: Blessing Chitapa
- 2019: Molly Hocking
- 2018: Ruti Olajugbagbe
- 2017: Mo Adeniran
- 2016: Kevin Simm
- 2015: Stevie McCrorie
- 2014: Jermain Jackman
- 2013: Andrea Begley
- 2012: Leanne Mitchell
Craig Eddie was the most recent winner of The Voice UK. He was able to beat finalists such as Grace Holden and Hannah Williams, with Anne-Marie winning on her debut as a judge. Previously to this, Blessing Chitapa was the 2020 The Voice UK winner, with Olly Murs claiming the judging bragging rights after also winning the 2019 series.
Murs succeeded with Molly Hocking in 2019 and will now be bidding to secure a third win in 2022, while Ruti Olajugbagbe was successfully coached by Tom Jones in 2018. This was the Welsh crooner’s second victory after the coach won the first ever The Voice UK by landing the spoils with Leanne Mitchell back in 2012.
The fifth series of The Voice UK started on 9th January 2016 and it will be the last to be aired on BBC One as their broadcasting rival ITV (home of The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent) has poached it. Here we have the latest betting tips, predictions and odds for the outright winner market of The Voice as we try to separate the wheat from the chaff and assess the relative chances of the contestants.
This year The Voice has seen two of its most popular judges replaced, with Rita Ora having switched to The X Factor and Sir Tom Jones having been viewed as surplus to requirements despite his legendary status in the music industry. Their replacements are Paloma Faith and Boy George, both of whom have proved insightful and knowledgeable so far in the series. They join incumbents Ricky Wilson and will.i.am to complete the group of rather kooky judges.
So, to the contestants, and the bookies’ favourite at the time of writing is Kevin Simm, who is priced at best betting odds of 7/2 with Ladbrokes. Part of Paloma’s team, Simm has the distinct advantage over most of his fellow contestants in that he has been a bona fide popstar in the past as a member of the group Liberty X (remember them?). His audition – a well-performed version of “Chandelier” by Sia – turned heads in the audience and chairs amongst the judges as all four coaches hit their buttons and tried to woo him. He proved he has a powerful and soulful voice and he is a worthy favourite, but we wonder whether there will be a slight backlash amongst the public on the basis that Simm has really had his chance for fame and glory in the past.
We have an inkling that second favourite Cody Frost might do very well after her distinctive version of ABBA’s “Lay All Your Love On Me” made quite a stir and appeared to offer something hitherto unseen in the current series. Betting odds of 11/2 with Coral might be worth snapping up at this early stage.
Another decent option to consider is 22-year-old Lydia Lucy whose gutsy performance of “Trouble” was good enough to suggest she could go far at odds of 9/1 with Bet365 in the outright winner market. The leftfield choice for the outright winner, for us, would be Vangelis – and no, he’s not THAT Vangelis (the Greek composer of the exceptional soundtracks to Chariots Of Fire and Blade Runner). This Vangelis is the half Greek, half Scottish 24-year-old who fired out a fine version of Boy George’s own “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” (a risky tactic, but if done well can certainly endear a contestant to the coach whose song it is they are covering). He might not quite have the X factor (to coin a phrase) to go all the way, but betting odds of 10/1 with Ladbrokes might be just long enough to tempt you.
Of course, given that there are still some contestants yet to join the show, the betting might be turned upside down if someone of truly star quality appears, but as things stand we think the value lies with backing either Cody Frost or Lydia Lucy, though don’t go all in until you’ve seen the final line up of each of the teams – and be sure to check out our odds comparison for the best prices when you are ready to place your bets!
The Voice has now gone past the blind audition stage and the betting on who will be crowned The Voice champion for 2015 is really taking shape, with several huge contenders topping the bookies’ odds. Read on for our predictions and betting tips whilst if you know who you want to bet on be sure to use our live odds comparison and thus get the very best available odds.
Betting on The Voice is fraught with peril and it would take a brave punter to claim they can predict what will happen over the coming weeks and months. Betting on reality TV shows isn’t always like this but on The Voice we feel there is less producer manipulation and influence than on a show, for example, such as the X Factor.
There is also relatively little to go on in terms of previous winners and stats from past shows, this being just the fourth series of The Voice UK. The judges have changed often and there are no real patters to be discerned, either in terms of the type and style of acts that have won, or the judges who have done best. The past three winners have been very different and have all been mentored by a different coach, with Sir Tom, Danny “from The Script” O’Donoghue and, last year, will.I.am, all having one success each.
The betting this year sees five acts all given a decent chance by the odds makers, although there is a clear favourite in the shape of Stevie McCrorie, priced at betting odds of 11/4 with Coral and others. Scottish firefighter McCrorie certainly ticks many of the right boxes, being humble and good looking, with the expectation of a decent regional vote from patriotic Scots. He also has hidden family heartbreak as a back story and being coached by Ricky should enhance his housewife appeal.
Early favourites don’t always prosper in shows such as this though and behind him in the betting is Sheena McHugh, on offer at best betting odds of 5/1 with BetVictor. McHugh is coached by Will and again ticks many of the right boxes, with the barmaid-diva from Coalville sure to have wide appeal.
The aforementioned pair are clear favourites and as such easy to offer up as betting tips but we predict at least three more acts have a very real chance of winning. Clark Carmody (8/1 with Bet365) is coached by Rita and has a real down to earth charm, whilst Howard Rose is Tom’s best chance of success in this year’s The Voice betting, priced at odds of 9/1. Rose is a Mancunian teacher and could surprise many betting tipsters, whilst London boy Emmanuel Nwamadi offers Ricky a second shot at winning The Voice and is priced at 12/1 with Stan James, though generally shorter.
Our betting tip though is to pick any two of these five. The Voice betting is unpredictable so go with your own instincts and any two of these contenders could deliver nice returns at very good betting odds.