'The Voice' adapts to COVID-19 with new socially distanced battle rounds
The "Battle Rounds" kicked off on The Voice Monday night, but looked a little different than what viewers are used to due to COVID-19 protocols.
While John Legend got to ditch the creepy rubber-glove-on-a-stick, during rehearsals, contestants were separated from their coaches and advisers with glass partitions, and on the stage, the singers had to be more than six feet apart, which meant performing in two separate rings. This awkward setup of course changed the whole contact-sport vibe of the Battles phase of this competition, with Blake Shelton noting that the “energy level” would have to “step up a little bit” to compensate for the gaping physical distance, and Gwen Stefani acknowledging that it would be more difficult for the contestants to “connect and emote.”
"It's just such an interesting way to watch a performance, going back and forth," shared Legend, who also compared watching the first battle of the night to a "tennis match." Meanwhile, Stefani stated, "I think that my whiplash is gonna be okay."
While the Voice coaches poked fun at the safe social distancing protocols during the Battles, Kelly Clarkson was just grateful that she had recovered from an eye infection, which forced her to wear an eyepatch all through rehearsals, which she said caused her to have "no depth perception."
Video Transcript
GWEN STEFANI: Whoa. I like it.
KELLY CLARKSON: This was a really cool thing that we have two stages for battles. They're able to have their own little island that's just theirs and really fight for the chance to proceed to the next round.
BLAKE SHELTON: Wow.
JOHN LEGEND: How many feet is it?
BLAKE SHELTON: Six feet.
- The battle rounds kicked off on "The Voice" Monday night, but looked a little different than what viewers are used to, due to COVID-19 protocols. While, John Legend got to ditch the creepy rubber glove on a stick, during rehearsals, contestants were separated from their coaches and advisors with glass partitions. And on stage, the singers had to be more than six feet apart, which meant performing in two separate rings, something not all viewers were fans of.
JOHN LEGEND: This is an interesting way to watch a performance, going back and forth.
GWEN STEFANI: I know.
JOHN LEGEND: It was like a tennis match. You're like, oh, where did that note come from? And then you're, like, looking over here, looking over there.
GWEN STEFANI: I think that my whiplash is going to be OK. But--
- And while "The Voice" coaches poked fun at the safe social distancing protocols, Kelly Clarkson was just grateful that she had recovered from an eye infection, which forced her to wear an eye patch all through rehearsals.
KELLY CLARKSON: Oh, I have no depth perception because of my patch, and I almost put this up my nose.
Something got in my eye. And I got a little infected. So I have to wear an eye patch.
