Part of the appeal of the reality singing competition The Voice is the fact that the show doesn’t go out of its way to humiliate its contestants. The overall vibe of the show is usually very positive and packed with impressive performances. However, no television show is safe from at least a little bit of controversy. And some of the most controversial moments on The Voice involve fan reactions to the crowning of season winners. Let’s dive into three controversial wins on The Voice (both in America and Australia) that fans were not happy with.
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1. Lachie Gill
Lachie Gill took home the win in 2022 on the Australian version of The Voice. While many were happy for him, some were angry that he won over top-tier singers Thando Sikwila, Jordan Tavita, and Faith Sosene.
Even runner-up Sosene hinted that Gill suited the tastes of Australian audiences—which some on the internet took as a backhanded compliment.
“We already knew Australia was gonna love & pick you! You’re simply perfect for them,” Faith wrote in a later-edited Instagram post via the Daily Mail. Tagging Tavita and Sikwila, she added “‘We must work harder for future generations to win. Off to work we go.”
2. Chris Sebastian
Any competition show will have its fair share of rigging allegations—almost always proven to be false. However, on the 2021 season of The Voice in Australia, fans around the world were pretty mad about one particular winner… and for an understandable reason. Fans accused the season’s winner, Chris Sebastian, of taking advantage of a loophole involving the “no family members” rule.
Chris is The Voice coach Guy Sebastian’s brother. Many were rightfully confused about how Guy could not be biased about his own brother competing, and their concerns grew further when Chris won. However, a public vote ultimately decides who wins, so who knows? Maybe Guy had no involvement in his brother winning the show.
3. Huntley
This 2023 winner of The Voice in the US does have some pretty good singing chops. However, not all fans were happy with the season’s conclusion. Many claimed that the results were unrightfully swayed in favor of Huntley over fan-favorite vocalist Ruby Leigh.
“Huntley was great but Ruby Leigh absolutely deserved that win!” said one commenter on X after the results were read.
As with any season of The Voice, no one competitor is immune to criticism. Some even grew upset over Leigh’s advancement.
“Mac & Nini have to fight for a spot while RUBY made it?? I’m convinced this is rigged once again,” another fan said.
Again, America ultimately voted for the winner. Still, some weren’t happy with the results. Regardless both Huntley and Leigh offered up some superb vocals throughout the season and were deserving of their top two placements.
Photo by Trae Patton
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