Cheryl has locked in a surprise Battle-stage mentor for her first season back on The Voice UK — and it is not a Girls Aloud bandmate.
According to The Sun, the new ITV coach called on Years & Years frontman and Eurovision 2024 entrant Olly Alexander to help her through the all-important Battles, which Cheryl filmed last month. A show source said producers and viewers widely expected her to lean on a Girls Aloud colleague, but she chose Olly instead after years of friendship and strong on-camera chemistry.
Insiders say Olly’s team hopes the high-profile TV spot will give his profile a lift after he scored nul points with Dizzy at Eurovision 2024. On set, the pair reportedly enjoyed working together: Olly offered sharp coaching notes while Cheryl faced tough calls that cut her team down to a final three. The Battle scenes are lined up to air in next year’s series.
This is not Olly’s first brush with The Voice UK. In 2019 he guested as a mentor alongside Jennifer Hudson and proved popular with viewers. Cheryl’s choice also fits a busy mentor slate for the new run — fellow new coach Aitch has invited Tom Grennan, while returning coach Kelly Rowland brought in Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams. will.i.am’s guest remains under wraps.
The booking lands as production steadies after Sir Tom Jones’s long-running departure from the coaching panel. Cheryl’s return after about six years away already drew strong fan reaction; pairing her with Olly for the Battles adds another unexpected talking point before the episodes land.
