The new season of The Voice has finally hit our screens and tension is already brewing.
WATCH BELOW: The Voice 2020 blind auditions.
But the squabbles aren’t only focused on what’s happening up front and on screen. New Idea has learnt that, as always, the real drama is happening backstage. This time it centres on which star coach is being paid the most money.
A production insider has claimed that there’s one star in particular who comes out on top, saying: “There is a pecking order regarding salaries – and Delta wins!”
The Aussie singer reportedly tops the salary rich list with the surprise news that she’s currently on a whopping $2 million, two-year contract.
“She isn’t silly as she has done her sums,” points out the TV source.
Meanwhile, Guy Sebastian is said to be getting $750,000 for this season while the overseas coaches, Kelly Rowland and Boy George, are making do with just $500,000, plus all expenses, accommodation and return first-class airfares.
“It’s a very expensive series,” notes the source. “Around $5 million total for the coaches when you throw in all the salaries, airfares, accommodations and expenses.”
However, it’s the judges’ luxury accommodation needs that really seems to blow the budget.
Although he’s still currently in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boy George’s short-term rental accommodation is usually around the $27,000 a month mark. He stays in the $10.5 million Centennial Park mansion once owned by media chief David Leckie. Meanwhile, Kelly prefers to stay in a huge suite in one of the city’s most lavish five star hotels.
Returning host Darren McMullen and newbie Renee Bargh receive around $250,000 for their roles on the series and are provided with luxury rented apartments in Darlinghurst.
As New Idea previously reported, early on in the season, production staff on the show were apparently told they would have to take pay cuts for the Channel Nine show to go ahead as planned. The stars’ salaries were also set to be impacted.
“Executives have said the pay cuts had to be equal across the board. However, [it is tricky because] the judges are all on individual contracts,” a source explained.
But since then, Guy Sebastian told The Kyle and Jackie O Show that he wasn’t aware of this, saying: “There are no pay cuts, or not that I know of.”
Guy also recently revealed that last year’s season was set to be the last, however, the coaches returned because they love the show so much. But rumours are now circulating the coaches were likely tempted back by their big pay days.
Despite this obvious imbalance in salaries, in a recent interview Darren says there’s no tension among the stars during the blind auditions and battles episodes which were filmed pre-lockdown.
“There have definitely been spats,” he told news.com.au. “But there’s never been any true bad blood off camera.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea. Out now!
