Pixie Lott Defends ‘The Voice Kids’, Insisting Children Should Be Allowed To Compete In The Show

‘If they want to be in this job long-term, it’s better to have all those knockbacks and rejections from a really young age.’

 13/04/2017 14:59

Daniel Welsh Entertainment Reporter

Pixie Lott has responded to critics of the upcoming junior version of ‘The Voice’, amid an ongoing discussion about whether children should be appearing on reality TV.

The ‘Mama Do’ singer will serve as a judge on the upcoming first series of ‘The Voice Kids’, alongside McFly’s Danny Jones and regular ‘The Voice’ staple will.i.am.

In an interview with ‘BUILD’, she has defended the series from the suggestion that its contestants - aged between 7 and 14 years old - are too young to be taking part in a TV talent show.

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Pixie Lott on ‘BUILD’

Pixie explained: “Because I have been doing this pretty much my whole life, I’ve had exactly the same experiences [as the contestants].

“At their age I was doing loads of auditions for things, and I actually think it’s better for kids, if they know that they want to be in this career and this profession long-term, then to have all those knockbacks and rejections that I had from a really young age.

“[Starting from a young age] just set me up so much better for now, because it makes you have a thicker skin.

“Now when [rejections] happen to me - which happens all the time - it’s just water off a duck’s back. I’m literally like, I’ve had this millions of time. Whereas if I was just experiencing it now, I think I would find it really, really tough.”

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Pixie and her fellow coaches

She continued: “I think it’s great for [the young contestants] to experience that and to have those knockbacks. It makes you learn and it makes you come back stronger.

“And the kids that have been on the show, they’re fearless. They’re so excited to be there, they know they’re so young, they know it’s the beginning, they know they can go on and do a million other things, it’s not like this is their last chance.”

‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Amanda Holden has previously hit back over the suggestion the ITV reality show was too harsh for its young participants, particularly after a handful have struggled with the pressure of live shows.

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Amanda has judged every series of ‘BGT’ since it launched

Back in 2015, Amanda insisted: “You have to rely on the fact the parents know their children so well that they feel they’re strong enough to be there.

“At the end of the day, it’s down to the parents and not us, but there are gentle ways of letting children down.

“I absolutely believe they should be able to take part, though, because there are so many talented youngsters. In fact… they’ve been outshining the adults.”

Pixie Talks Cars, Chat-Up Lines and Guilty pleasures

Paloma Faith doesn't do chat-up lines, Pixie Lott's boyfriend does all the cooking while presenter Jameela Jamil says she's never been in a fight ("People don't fuck with women who are 5'11").

Campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez says she supports "The England football team. You know, the one that made it to the semi finals", Green MP Caroline Lucas confesses she has broken the law before, "but never doing anything that I wouldn’t want my children to be doing" and racing driver Simona Silvestro has (perhaps unsurprisingly) been caught for speeding.

All these successful women have joined cook and writer Rachel Khoo, radio DJ Alice Levine and agony aunt Virginia Ironside in answering all the questions high-profile men often get asked, but women rarely do.

Louise Ridley Become a fanlouise.ridley@huffingtonpost.com

Paloma Faith, Jameela Jamil, Caroline Lucas And More Talk Cars, Chat-Up Lines And Getting Into Fights

Posted: 08/03/2016 08:30 GMT Updated: 08/03/2016 21:59 GMT

Pixie Lott

Singer, 25

Were you much of a troublemaker when you were young?
No, I went to a performing arts school so I was just really involved in that and I just had the best time. We had lots of fun.

Do you do your own cooking, washing and ironing?
No really. I’m not really much of a cook: my boyfriend loves cooking so I let him do that. Washing and ironing, obviously yeah I do, but I have a cleaner who helps out.

What’s your best chat-up line?
I don’t really use chat-up lines. I guess my theory is just to be open and friendly.

What sports team do you support?
West Ham. I haven’t been for ages, but I always support them. When I was little we used to go and see them, so it’s more just my family are big West ham supporters. I support Charlton a bit too because my dad is a Charlton supporter.

What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
Apart from my flat where I live, I think it’s holidays. I always take my family and we’ll do like two family holidays a year, we always go skiing in Verbier, and we usually go to like Portugal in the summer. I took my friends to Vegas for our 21st - that was fun.

What’s your secret to success?
Be kind, work hard and have fun.

What car do you drive?
I don’t drive, actually. I started learning when I was 17, I got lessons for my birthday, and then I just got too busy – my single came out not long after that and then I couldn’t finish the course. It’s always my New Year’s resolution and then I never get round to it.

Have you ever broken the law?
I don’t think so..

What's your guilty pleasure?
I love TV shows, like the Jeremy Kyle Show, Embarrassing Bodies and shows like that.

Have you ever got into a fight?
I’ve been started on before, when I was about 14. Me and my friend were shopping in Bluewater and there were a bunch of rude girls who just started staring at us, and they started on us, but we didn’t really get into a fight. That’s happened as well in the last few years, in Brentwood we were in a bar one time and these girls started on us. They were all dressed in these onesies. I was with my sister and we just made a run for it.

What would you do to take a man out on a great date?
I always think going to a really nice restaurant is good. Obviously everyone does that though, but it’s good because you can actually talk rather than going to see something. I know that Oliver [my boyfriend] loves cars, so one of those days where you can ride around in a dream car, I’m sure boys would love something like that.

Do you believe in chivalry?
Yes. Gentlemanly manners are good, I think it shows good manners and it’s nice.

Do you work hard or play hard?
I’m going to say both. I think you have to have a balance. If you work hard then it gives you the allowance to have more fun. I love going out and having fun with the people I love, but luckily I enjoy my job as well, so the aim is to have as much fun as possible all the time.