Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates present the first of two knockout rounds to be shown over the weekend, in which Jessie J, Tom Jones, Will.i.am and Danny O'Donoghue reduce their teams of seven down to the three acts that will perform in the live shows. The vocalists will be pitted against each other in further head-to-head battles, this time choosing their own songs, although they won't know who they're up against until the moment they're chosen to take the stage. Up for grabs is a place in Friday's quarter-finals.
Hosted by Emma Willis and Marvin Humes, the show features four musician coaches: will.i.am, Boy George, Paloma Faith and Ricky Wilson, who will coach only the most talented vocalists. The show's innovative format features three stages of competition: the first begins with the blind audition, then the competition enters into a battle phase, and finally, the live performance. The show's casting team is working with the music industry and searching the country for the best singers to bring to the blind audition process.
During the blind auditions, the decisions from the coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks. The coaches hear the contestants perform, but they don't get to see them - thanks to rotating chairs.