Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Olly Murs, will.i.am and other The Voice judges look unrecognisable in these throwbacks

These judges have come a long way!

the voice judges
Share this:
olly murs throwback

With the return of The Voice UK this year, HELLO! are taking a look back at the all-star judges' transformations. Olly Murs joined returning coaches will.i.am, Sir Tom Jones and Jennifer Hudson on the superstar judging panel in 2018. The British pop star first found fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2009. He finished runner-up and went on to release four UK No.1 albums and four No.1 singles. The singer has replaced Gavin Rossdale, who appeared only on one series.

MORE: Olly Murs addresses relationship with Simon Cowell after joining The Voice UK

jennifer hudson young

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson barely looks recognisable in this picture she has shared on Instagram. Taken when she was a baby, she wrote in the caption: "Baby Jhud! And my big brother Jason! They use to call me jaws cuz my jaws were so big and I would stare u down!! To this day I still love people watching!! I guess I was people watching even back then!" [sic] The star is the newest female judge on the panel for The Voice UK. Jennifer's first break came on American Idol, where she came in seventh place in 2004. The star then went on to win an Oscar for her role as Effy in Dreamgirls in 2006.

© Getty Images/Instagram

tom jones young© Photo: Getty Images

Tom Jones

This was taken in April 1966 when Tom Jones went shopping in Gear, a boutique in London's fashionable Carnaby Street. The Welsh crooner rose to fame in the 1960s, releasing popular tunes such as It's Not Unusual, Green, Green Grass of Home and Delilah. He scored his first UK number one in 1965 for It's Not Unusual and went on to sell more than 100 million records around the world throughout his career.

william the voice young

will.i.am

Notorious for keeping his personal life private, will.i.am - real name William Adams - was born in East Los Angeles and raised in the Estrada Courts housing projects in Boyle Heights. He is the founding member of Black Eyed Peas, who have gone on to have big hits with songs such as Where Is the Love?, Hey Mama and Don't Phunk with My Heart. This picture was released when the musician opened up about his difficult childhood and in a frank and revealing interview with CNBC. "I was in fifth grade and we had to bring canned foods into school and at the time I didn't know who the poor people were," said will.i.am. "I came back home and was like, 'Mom, I need to bring canned foods to school.' And she was like, 'Boy, you ain't taking no canned foods to school.'"

© Getty Images/CNBC

More TV and Film

See more