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“Fake drama”: Change of tune for The Voice host?

In 2016 Darren McMullen admitted, “I couldn’t watch any more kids getting their heart broken." Now he's back.

Returning host for The Voice Darren McMullen is much loved within Nine, having most recently appeared on SeaChange.

Last week he was announced as returning to the singing talent show alongside his former stablemate at Channel [V], Renee Bargh.

But has he had a change of heart over the show?

In 2016, after his exit as host, he told TV Tonight he didn’t watch the show and wasn’t a fan of “fake drama.”

“I couldn’t watch any more kids getting their heart broken because they thought their dreams were over. It’s not the kind of television I watch,” he admitted.

“I didn’t watch The Voice. I hosted The Voice, but I didn’t watch it.

“I don’t really like watching myself on television so maybe that’s why I didn’t watch it. Maybe a lot of other Australians didn’t like watching me on television either!”

McMullen hosted Nine’s reality series for four seasons before Nine’s House Husbands and a gig as host of Seven’s short-lived The Big Music Quiz.

“Every show you turn on now has this fake drama. Especially when you’ve worked on it, you understand what the producers have done to get to that point. And it’s crap. I want to do real stuff,” he said at the time.

Hoping others would benefit from the opportunity to host The Voice, he added, “I didn’t watch The Voice and it isn’t really my kind of television, but that’s ok I don’t think I’m the demographic they’re after anyway. That’s all I was saying. I think it’s a fantastic show and I think Australians love it for a reason. There’s a great aspect to that show. The fact that they are giving people the opportunity to be heard.

“I really have no ill feeling towards that show and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that show.”

Points to Nine brass for being a very forgiving bunch.

9 Responses

  1. As always in these situations…money talks. Remember when Daniel Craig said we would rather cut his wrists than play James Bond again? Maybe this should be another TV Tonight award for Backtrack of the Year

  2. i don’t think this was about Nine being forgiving. I just don’t think they wanted to test the waters with another new host, just go with the original who people liked.

      1. That’s far from true. Channel 7 made two celeb quiz format productions with Darren at the helm and both tanked in terms of viewers they would have expected McMullen to draw in. I believe he has been given many opportunities, many just weren’t worth the risk in the end.

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