Boy George has branded the treatment of young singers on The Voice Kids as nasty.
The Culture Club star criticised the way judges Will.i.am, Paloma Faith, Pixie Lott and Danny Jones sit with their backs to contestants as they perform and turn round to select them for the next round.
On Saturday’s show several youngsters were rejected.
Boy George, a former judge on The Voice, said: “Against no turns on The Voice Kids. The patronising comments don’t work.
“F*** teaching them to be tough. It’s nasty.”
His comments could upset bosses on the Australian version of the show, where he is a coach alongside Kelly Rowland, Delta Goodram and Guy Sebastian. Saturday’s show was the final blind audition.
Eight-year-old Lachlan performed Hall and Oates hit You Make My Dreams, but failed to gain a spot in the next round.
Pixie hailed the performance as “brilliant”, Paloma told him she loved his energy while Will.i.am said the boy “rocked the house”.
McFly’s Danny taught Lachlan to walk off stage with swagger.
Contestants Summer, 11, and 10-year-old Luca performed a duet of It Takes Two, but none of the judges turned round.
They embraced the pair when they left the stage.
Tia, 13, was told she was “everything we’re looking for” by Will.i.am, who had already filled his team by the time she performed.
Danny, the only judge with a spot available on his team, apologised to the teenager.
