The Voice Of Ireland

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Let the battle rounds begin!

It was all about tears, sighs of relief and jumps of joy this week on The Voice Of Ireland, as the coaches filled the last remaining places on their teams. As always, bucket loads of talent took the Helix by storm, but unfortunately not all of the auditionees made the cut.

Carolann Haskins (22) a music student from Kildare was one of the lucky few to secure a place in the final twelve on Team Bressie. Her musical knowledge and experience really shone through in her performance of Last Name. It sounded like the song was written especially for her. I thoroughly enjoyed this audition, and really hope Carolann survives in the battle rounds. If she is fortunate enough to make it to Team Bressie's final six, I would love to hear her rendition of Garth Brook's Ain't Goin Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up), or a country version of The Easybeats River Deep, Mountain High.

Elliot Canavan Doyle (19) from Meath stole the show with his version of Damien Rice's 9 Crimes. It was one of my favourite performances of the series. His awkwardness and shyness on stage, actually worked to his advantage. I found his vulnerability to be quite endearing. Elliot's silky smooth voice made him a pleasure to listen to. I would gladly buy his album any day! It is hard to believe that just a couple of years ago the apprentice hairdresser barely had the confidence to talk. From the banter he had with the coaches to his little brother's incredibly cute comment, Elliot came across as a down-to-earth and genuine guy. I predict that he will go really far in the competition. In fact, Kian may have a potential winner on his hands.

He may have ditched his questionable nineties outfits, but former OTT boyband member Alan Fitzsimons from Swords in Dublin, has definitely not lost his ability to sing. His rendition of True Colours was beautiful. I applaud Alan for making the courageous decision to get back on that horse and perform, after being off the stage for almost 14 years. Although I was a tad disappointed that Alan didn't break out into the chorus of Story Of Love, it was a pleasure just listening to him hitting those high notes with perfection. A great addition to Team Brian. I would love to hear the pair performing a duet together! For those of you who also felt let down by his lack of cheesy singing, feel free to click here to watch the video.

There is no denying that Kim Hayden (24) from Wicklow can sing, but I found her performance of I Will Always Love You to be pitchy in parts. It is one of the oldest song in the karaoke books, and almost every artist that tries to imitate this big Whitney Houston track ends up murdering the song. Kim gave a decent performance, but her song choice may have been her downfall.

Hopefully Sharon will point her in the right direction. I reckon Hurt by Christina Aguilera would be a terrific choice to showcase her broad vocal range. I wonder if her brother will be getting Team Sharon tattooed on his arm now?

Colin Hand from Bangor put his heart and soul into his performance of Smile. It was one of the most convincing and flawless performances on the show to date. I truly did believe that Colin was singing about his beautiful daughter Charlotte who has a rare genetic disorder known as Rett Syndrome. Brian said that he "hears buckets of potential" in Colin, and I couldn't agree more.

With just six places on offer for Team Bressie, Sharon, Brian and Kian, the coaches and contestants will really start to feel the pressure next week.

Let the battle begin!

Laura Delaney