05 November 2023 , 23:08
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Fans of The Voice UK have called out a contestant for 'snubbing' judge Olly Murs, shortly after the former X Factor finalist revealed he was 'gutted' after being axed from the show.
Stan Irving performed Chuck's classic track Johnny B.Goode in an attempt to win over the judges' approval of the ITV series, after building an career touring with bands like The Swinging Blue Jeans, The Tremolos and The Troggs. But despite his longstanding experience in the industry, only one judge - Olly - decided to press their button and swivel around for him.
It quickly became clear, however, that the 79-year-old was only really interested in impressing Sir Tom Jones. After all four judges had turned around, he revealed he was from Dundee before joking folks know him as 'three-hands Stan'. When asked by Olly why he decided to audition for The Voice, he said, "Tom Jones is here. He was rock and roll, he is rock and roll." Stan then returned to his keyboard for an impromptu duet with the 83-year-old, much to the delight of his supporters backstage.
Stan was more excited to meet Tom Jones than gain Olly's approval (ITV)Things turned slightly awkward after this second performance, however, when Olly walked onto the stage to shake the Scottish singer's hand. Looking puzzled, he asked the Marry Me singer, "What about Mr Jones?" to which Olly replied, "He didn't press his button. But I pressed it for you, so I'll get you to sing again in the next round."
Stan quickly moved from Olly to Tom, walking over to shake his hand and saying, "Thank you for keeping the torch going all these years." Backstage, he told The Voice host that he was more excited to have sung with Tom Jones than to be on Team Olly.
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Meanwhile, back on set, Olly joked: "I actually don't know if he's coming back!" The 39-year-old appeared to take the diss in good spirits, however, later sharing a sweet shout-out to Stan on Twitter.
"Stan the man!" he gushed. "Not even sure he even knows who I am but this guy got to live his dream on the voice singing with SIR TOM! Special moment for him at 79 and I’m buzzing I pressed my button for that moment but ain’t sure he turning up for the next round. absolute legend!"
It didn't take long for Olly's followers on Twitter to share their reaction, with many hailing the talented musician for his knockout audition.
"Sweet that you pressed the button for him Olly, hope you can convince him to come back. Would be great if Sir Tom got Stan to go on the road with him when he is next on tour," one person wrote, while another said they "absolutely loved him."
Stan, who lives in Denmark, later told the Courier that he hadn't even heard of The Voice when producers contacted him about auditioning. He also admitted that he didn't fully understand the process, which explains why he was left confused when Olly approached him.
"I completely screwed up, there were all these flashing lights saying I want you. I walked off like it was the end of a gig," Stan said. "The only guy I was focused on was Tom Jones, I completely ignored the guy (Olly Murs) who chose me. He had to literally run after me and drag me back."