The Voice UK

The auditions and battle rounds were fine and were received quite well both by critics and in the ratings. It was the live shows that was the problem and where it took a downwards turn. That's where their focus needs to lie for the second series.

There is no point reworking the auditions if they worked OK the first time around.

I think one thing that is almost certain is that they'll let the auditions play out over an extra couple of weeks considering that's when the show peaked, so I'd expect six audition shows instead of four, though possibly cut to an hour rather than 80 minutes.

The battle rounds worked well over a weekend and I suspect they'll do the same with the first couple of live rounds next year rather than have them alternating weeks. I would do the live shows over 4 weekends rather than 6 weeks (so that's better for the judges too), 20>16 then 16>12 over the first two weekends, then 12>8>4 over the third and the final over the fourth.

Eh? No they weren't.

IMO the audition stages were just about the only part of the programme that worked perfectly and they should remain unchanged next year. They were certainly the most popular part of the programme.

I realise that praising ad breaks is not the norm, and I hate the way X Factor is stretched out to squeeze in more ad breaks - but actually, it's the ad breaks that let them get away with it. It's 1 hour content stretched over 1 1/2 hours, which just sort of works. 80mins of relentless chair spinning, I personally feel doesn't.

I think it'd be foolish not to tweak them. I think a lot of people tuned in to the auditions just to give it a go, and may not do the same next year if it's the same as this year.

A lot of the show's later problems are a byproduct of the audition stages - we don't have time to connect with any of the acts because they get through and then are forgotten about, for weeks.

I've always hated the drawn out sob stories and the contrived chat before the auditions - but actually, they serve an important purpose.

When I say the show was done "as live", I'm just describing how it felt like it came across to me. There was no sense of time, location, or anything like that. It was just a glossy studio somewhere at some time in the distant past, with some auditionees in it, possibly all on the same day, possibly not, we don't know because they never changed their clothes. It felt distant, is what I'm trying to say. We never even saw the presenters, it was just a disembodied voice.

I doubt viewers would be 'trying' a show for 6 weeks in some cases.

In terms of next year I would:

- Have the audition shows as they are, possibly with interviews in the V room done as live inserts.

- Keep the battle rounds as are

- Live shows would have less contestants, focusing the teams and possibly only giving each judge 3 contestants, losing less every week, and having more live shows.

- Switch to a Saturday live result show, saving on costs but bringing back some sort of atmosphere.

- Possibly have the V room visible from the stage (just as The Xtra Factor's studio) cutting the disconnect currently found. Its very jarring going from an impressive studio to a small box room.

- Switch out Danny, I don't think he has the authority of the other judges, and personally because he grates on my nerves. I can't watch the show without shouting "SIT DOWN DANNY" like an angry mother at a child.

- Ditch group performances, they don't work on The X Factor, they don't work here.

- Bring in the live voting as discussed earlier.

Just on the topic of the results show having no atmosphere, I think that's down to two reasons. Firstly, X Factor's results show is an hour long on the Sunday with better guest performers and a better structure. It doesn't work alongside shows like Countryfile and Antiques Roadshow, and gets a little lost in the schedule particularly at odd scheduled times.

The final results on Saturday had much more atmosphere because, most importantly, they were live.

Also The Voice results shows were miserable. Whenever they were in "The V Room" (it pains me to call it that) when they were waiting for the results all the acts looked so unhappy like they were about to be lead to the slaughterhouse. Fair enough it would have been a nervous time for them but we don't need to see that, especially as the weeks went on and it became clear the show was unlikely to have a huge impact on the careers of any of them. They keep that to a minimum on The X Factor.

And the results show just lacked any real content. There was too much filler on naff behind the scenes comments, often from much earlier in the series, that no-one cared about. The only parts of the show of any real interest were the guest performance and the result.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/18496105

Live tour cancelled owing to lack of ticket sales.