How does it feel to be back?

Amazing. I love this show. Every year even though we are on Series 7, every year feels so different. The kids are completely different each year so it makes it a completely different show. You never know which way it’s going to lead or how your team is going to fill up or what characters you are going to get.

We just love hearing the talent and we also have loads of fun. It’s a really warm, fun show where everybody is having a laugh as well. It’s a great experience for the young performers. That’s what the whole show is about, the kids and they really do get to shine, so I love it.

What do you specifically look for?

To be honest it is The Voice Kids so I’m always going to be listening out for the voice. Obviously, some performers come with more stage presence or they are a character but I think the most important thing on this show is the talent of the voice. That is what I really hone in on. What’s amazing about The Voice Kids is a lot of the time they haven’t sung past their bedroom and a lot of the really good singers don’t know how good they are. You really do see them change so much over the short space of time until the final. It’s all down to the big power house voices for me. I would like to say I know what pushes the button but it’s always different every time. The tone is a big one for me as well. We all connect with different tones. Sometimes it's the technique or range of a singer but sometimes it will just be the tone and they don’t have to do anything crazy, you can just feel something there and they are singing from the heart, I think that always gets you.

What do you love the most about the show?

My favourite thing about the show is definitely the talent because I grew up doing the same sort of stuff as the kids and auditioning. There wasn’t a Voice Kids when I was younger but if there was, I would have definitely auditioned for it. I’ve been in their shoes and I know what it’s like. I still go for auditions now but for a young person to walk out there, doing what you love and wanting to live your dream and take all these opportunities is really amazing to see as I’ve been there myself. They are all here because of the pure love and joy of music and singing. There’s no agenda or anything else and it reminds us all we are all here because we love music, we love singing and we love performing. It really takes it back to that, back to the basics of that. I think that’s really refreshing to see and to hear so that’s my favourite part and the kids get so much out of this show. When they leave, they’ve done these life changing performances so early on in their career which puts them in such good stead for the next stages so to have this experience is so valuable. No matter where they end up, whether they leave after the blind auditions or leave after the battles, every part is so valuable as they learn so much. They are all like sponges and they take so much in.

What advice do you give them?

We are always giving as much advice as we can and supporting and encouraging them. We all know what it’s like to be in their shoes. In this business it’s important to have people there who can guide you and help out. As they’ve had this experience when they do it again, I feel like they are ahead of the game. The more they do it the more it becomes water off a duck’s back and they become used to it. My advice is always the more of these experiences and auditions they can do the better.

The only thing that can get in the way of a great performance and that can happen at any stage of your career, is nerves and they can just take over. The more you focus on the nerves the worse they are. The problem with singing is as soon as the nerves kick in it just affects the voice straight away, an amazing singer can sound completely different. So, the most important thing is they remember they are here because they love singing, they love performing, you know it’s in your bones and you're meant to do this. Enjoy every single second of it and don’t focus on the bigger picture or where the cameras are or who is watching at home, just focus on what you love doing, enjoy yourself. If you are enjoying yourself then the audience will too. We talk about this loads on the show, how to get into the right headspace. It goes so quickly so just to be in that moment and enjoy every moment before it’s gone.

Tell us about team Pixie this year.

They are all girls. I’ve got an amazing super group of girls which was so fun for the battle round as they were like a girl group. It was one of my favourite battles. Out of all the years, this year for me was the year where I saw the most change and improvement from the blind auditions to the battles for my team. There were some nerves at the blinds and they ironed them out by the time we got the battles so really they were like four different singers. That’s what I mean about the nerves. When the nerves come in it changes everything and when the nerves disappear it changes everything as well. It’s so rewarding as I had the vision of what I knew was in there and for them to rise to the challenge when they needed too in the moment was amazing. You never know how it's going to go and that’s what keeps it exciting.

Who is the most competitive coach?

I feel like all the coaches are in their own way. I know the others will definitely say me but that’s because I’ve been lucky with the wins. I feel like everybody is competitive but if I had to choose one I’m going to say Ronan