Keith Urban Signs On for ‘The Voice’ Australia
Following a successful throat surgery, Keith Urban will once again find his voice -- or more specifically, 'The Voice.' As it was rumored, the Down Under native will join the Australian version of the hit TV show 'The Voice' next year.
Urban will act as a celebrity judge and mentor in the competition, filling a role much like his country music peer Blake Shelton on the U.S. version of the show. Other celeb judges include Seal, Joel Madden of Good Charlotte and fellow Aussie Delta Goodrem.
During the blind auditions, the famous judges face away from the hopeful contestants, judging them only on the sound of their voice rather than their looks and personality. If one or more of the celebrities turn around, the contestant officially makes it through to a team, and the given judge becomes their mentor through the duration of the competition. 'The Voice' has become a universally popular idea -- the show has unique versions in Brazil, Spain, Sweden and South Korea, among others.
The U.S. version of the show with Shelton picks up for its second season following the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. The Aussie version, with Urban, is also expected to begin early next year. Last Friday, the 'Without You' hitmaker's rep reported that the singer is "doing fine" post-surgery, so he should be back to 100% by the time his new television slot hits the air.