With the upcoming new season of “The Voice Kids” starting in August, Lea Salonga said she is excited to meet the newest batch of young talents. She was also happy that their former contestant Zephanie Dimaranan ended up grand winner of the recently concluded first season of “Idol Philippines.”
“I’m very happy for Zeph. We first met Zeph on ‘The Voice Kids,’ and her ending on the show was very dramatic and painful. And now she’s heralded as the first winner of Idol Philippines. She’s grown up beautiful and her voice is still really clean and crystal clear so she has a very bright future, and now because she won, who knows what could happen for her. So I’m hoping for the best,” she said during her “Perfect Ten” concert presscon held last July 30.
Lea admitted she was aware of all the criticisms online that the show’s judges had to deal with regarding their decisions and comments throughout the season. “It’s a little unfair to bash someone. I mean, each of those judges comes from their own unique life experiences as well as their experience in the industry, and they can only judge based on what they themselves know. I feel bad for anyone of them that had to be on the receiving end of that kind of criticism. They were chosen for a reason so let’s see what they have to say. I mean at the end of it naman, look who ended up winning. They were not wrong,” she explained.
As for judging talent competitions, Lea said “The Voice Kids” is especially hard because of the more sensitive nature of their younger contestants. “I think even Sharon (Cuneta) came out with a press release saying that it was a very difficult experience for her because she tends to get attached. So when you have to do battle rounds, which means you have to be the one cutting people down, it’s difficult. I’m a little more mean (laughs). I went in knowing this was what I had to do and it’s kind of a contest internally between the coaches. We have learned to expect the unexpected. It’s a very exciting reality contest to be a part of though it can be heartbreaking. Kids cry so you have to kind of be a therapist and surrogate mom and learn how to pacify an eight-year old that didn’t get through. As much as I tell people that I have a tough exterior, it’s still not easy for children,” she explained. (Push)
