Kelly Rowland slammed a contestant on The Voice Australia for calling her “beautiful” during the Blind Auditions on Sunday night. The American singer is a judge on the popular TV talent show.
Kelly said the compliment from music teacher Ricky Muscat was “so degrading” and dismissive of her long, hard years in the music industry.
The former Destiny’s Child singer turned her chair when Ricky auditioned. Singer Boy George also turned his chair to Ricky, who eventually chose the Culture Club frontman.
“George, I love you. Kelly, you’re so beautiful,” said Ricky. “The coach that I am choosing is George.”
Ricky was then shown hugging the male judges while Kelly sat in her chair steaming. She then stood to embrace Ricky, but he ignored her.
Kelly’s fellow judge Delta Goodrem sat next to Kelly to comfort her.
“It is the most frustrating s**t,” Kelly fumed. “You know what’s so frustrating? To be called beautiful… it’s so degrading. It really pi**es me off,” she raged. “Like ‘oh, you’re so cute’, or ‘you’re so pretty’. I’ve been here (in the music industry) for 20-something years, you know what I mean?”
The 39-year-old mother-of-one insisted she was not upset at being passed over for Boy George, 58.
“I don’t care who he (Ricky) would have chosen, it’s just the fact that he chose George and goes ‘you, you’re a woman, you’re pretty’, that makes me upset. Oh, that irritates me to no end!”
However, George dismissed Kelly’s pettiness: “I think Kelly’s upset because he called her pretty. I love it when people call me pretty, please!”
Fans of the show point out that, before Ricky chose George, Kelly called Ricky “handsome”. He may have been returning the compliment.
Question: If you were pushing 40, would you be outraged if a man called you beautiful?
