Will.i.am feared Jessie J would be ‘mean to the acts’ on The Voice Kids

Will.i.am has confessed he was worried Jessie J would be mean to the young acts on The Voice Kids.

It was confirmed earlier this year that Jessie J would be joining the show for its third series later this year.

She joins as a brand new coach alongside the returning Will.i.am, Danny Jones and Pixie Lott who are all back to their big red chairs for the blind auditions.

But Will has confessed he originally feared she’d be too mean to the children.

“At first I was like, ‘Is Jessie going to be mean to these kids?’” he said this month. “Jessie’s like a bootcamp singer. She’s like ‘hit the notes, you’ve got to hit the notes right, lay down, do this’. I was like, ‘Is she going to be as tough on these little kids? Is she going to say that to a seven-year-old?’”

However, after filming, Will says his worries were soon squashed.

He said: “She’s such a freaking sweetheart to the kids. She’s a sweetheart, oh my God. She’s going to be an awesome mum.

“I love the fact she’s doing the show because the UK is going to see the sweeter side of Jessie J. When she did the show before, she was tough.”

Speaking about signing up for the new series, Jessie herself said earlier this year: “I love kids, I love to sing and I love to share all I know about singing and performing. The idea of combining those three things again on The Voice Kids is a dream come true. I am grateful to have been asked back.

“I am so excited to share my experience with the young singers on the show, who are just starting to discover themselves as singers. I will be protective of their experience emotionally, as well as vocally. It’s a huge moment in their lives and I am happy I get to be someone to help and hold their hand.”

The Voice Kids will air on ITV later this year.

For now, The Voice UK’s main series continues Saturday nights at 8PM on ITV.