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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Leah McFall on course to win The Voice | Leah McFall on course to win The Voice |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Leah McFall is the bookies' favourite to win BBC talent contest The Voice following the semi-finals this weekend. | Leah McFall is the bookies' favourite to win BBC talent contest The Voice following the semi-finals this weekend. |
| McFall, 23, who is mentored by Will.I.Am, won the public vote over fellow Team Will member Cleo Higgins, to join Matt Henry, Andrea Begley and Mike Ward in next week's live final. | McFall, 23, who is mentored by Will.I.Am, won the public vote over fellow Team Will member Cleo Higgins, to join Matt Henry, Andrea Begley and Mike Ward in next week's live final. |
| Last week, McFall made it into the top 20 of the official UK Charts with her performance of I Will Survive. | Last week, McFall made it into the top 20 of the official UK Charts with her performance of I Will Survive. |
| With odds of 2-7, Coral bookmakers said "she only has to show up" to win. | With odds of 2-7, Coral bookmakers said "she only has to show up" to win. |
| The final, which takes place next Saturday, will be decidedly entirely by public vote. | |
| Each artist will perform a song of their choice, as well as performing a duet with their mentor. The act with the lowest number of votes will then leave the show, before the remaining three perform their favourite song from this series. | |
| The winner wins a 'lucrative recording contract'. | |
| "I rarely come across people like Leah," said coach Will.i.am at the semi-finals, citing her "incredible range and crazy work ethic". | |
| McFall, from Belfast, sang Killing Me Softly for the live semi-finals, as well as performing a group song, Rapture, with the Black Eyed Peas frontman and Higgins. | McFall, from Belfast, sang Killing Me Softly for the live semi-finals, as well as performing a group song, Rapture, with the Black Eyed Peas frontman and Higgins. |
| Begley - McFall's closest rival - is coached by The Script's Danny O'Donoghue; country-singer Ward is coached by Sir Tom Jones; and Henry is mentored by Jessie J. | Begley - McFall's closest rival - is coached by The Script's Danny O'Donoghue; country-singer Ward is coached by Sir Tom Jones; and Henry is mentored by Jessie J. |
| Ratings slump | Ratings slump |
| The concept behind The Voice originated in Holland in 2010, and the TV show has since become a worldwide brand, rivalling hit series such as The X Factor and American Idol. | The concept behind The Voice originated in Holland in 2010, and the TV show has since become a worldwide brand, rivalling hit series such as The X Factor and American Idol. |
| The second UK series began in April on BBC One, and saw a steady rise in ratings throughout the blind auditions, peaking at 9.57 million viewers. | The second UK series began in April on BBC One, and saw a steady rise in ratings throughout the blind auditions, peaking at 9.57 million viewers. |
| However, ratings have since fallen, with last week's quarter-final seen by an average audience of 4.2 million. | However, ratings have since fallen, with last week's quarter-final seen by an average audience of 4.2 million. |
| Saturday's semi-final, which ran from 19:00-21:10 BST, bucked the downward trend, drawing an average audience of 5.8 million, approximately 28% of the available audience, according to overnight estimates. | Saturday's semi-final, which ran from 19:00-21:10 BST, bucked the downward trend, drawing an average audience of 5.8 million, approximately 28% of the available audience, according to overnight estimates. |
| At the show's peak, it had an audience of 6.7 million; the BBC said it was the most watched programme of the night. | At the show's peak, it had an audience of 6.7 million; the BBC said it was the most watched programme of the night. |
| It was also a marked improvement on the 4.5 million who tuned in for the semi-finals last year. | It was also a marked improvement on the 4.5 million who tuned in for the semi-finals last year. |
| Sir Tom Jones' pick - Leanne Mitchell - won the first series of The Voice UK last year, but failed to break into the Top 100 with her debut album. | Sir Tom Jones' pick - Leanne Mitchell - won the first series of The Voice UK last year, but failed to break into the Top 100 with her debut album. |