The Voice Australia will start filming in Sydney on Friday… just days after new coach Rita Ora is released from mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine
Rita Ora emerged from her mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine in Sydney on Monday.
And now she’s out and about, production on The Voice Australia is moving full steam ahead, with the talent show set to begin filming in Sydney on Friday.
Blind auditions will be taped at Carriageworks, Eveleigh, right by Channel Seven’s headquarters, reports TV Tonight.
She ready: Controversial new coach Rita Ora emerged from her mandatory 14-day Australian hotel quarantine on Monday, ahead of The Voice filming on Friday. She’s seen here in a Tuesday Instagram post
After a break on Saturday, the auditions will resume on Sunday through to Tuesday, when ‘the four coaches will also record their group performance’.
Joining Rita on the panel will be Keith Urban, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy.
The new season of The Voice will air on Seven this year, after the network bought the rights away from Channel Nine.
Rita’s involvement is already mired in controversy, amid claims she was given special treatment to allow her into Australia.
The shadow home affairs spokeswoman, Kristina Keneally, said Rita’s hotel spot meant her quarantine was at the expense of Australians seeking to return home.
![Ora's [pictured on Tuesday] inclusion is already mired in controversy, amid claims she was given special treatment to allow her into Australia](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/16/22/39373896-9267515-image-m-16_1613512972197.jpg?resize=306%2C472&ssl=1)
Back to work: Blind auditions for the talent show will be taped at Carriageworks, Eveleigh, right by new network Seven’s headquarters, per the industry blog. Pictured: Guy Sebastian [L, in 2020] and Ora [R, on Tuesday]
![Old guard: Pictured here are the 2020 hosts of The Voice [L-R] Guy Sebastian, Kelly Rowland, Delta Goodrem and Boy George]](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/16/21/39373888-9267515-image-a-12_1613512788966.jpg?resize=634%2C634&ssl=1)
Old guard: Pictured here are the 2020 hosts of The Voice [L-R] Guy Sebastian, Kelly Rowland, Delta Goodrem and Boy George]
Australia’s strict Covid-19 laws only allow 4,250 international arrivals a week, which has meant about 37,000 Australian nationals are ‘stranded’ abroad unable to see their families.
Labor MP Keneally complained the singer was being given preferential treatment, saying: ‘It’s another example of Prime Minister Scott Morrison leaving Australians behind.’
‘There are still 40,000 Australians stranded overseas. Every celebrity who takes up a place in quarantine is a place denied to a stranded Australian,’ she added.
‘MOOD’: On Wednesday, the songstress took to Instagram to share some racy stills from her latest music video, Mood
New look who dis? Rita unveiled a startling new, lingerie-clad look in the video for the collaboration with Imanbek and Khea
It’s not the first Covid-related scandal surrounding Rita, as the British songstress was last year branded ‘selfish’ by UK police for hosting a lockdown-flouting 30th birthday party in London.
After the event, she paid the hefty £10,000 fine for breaching lockdown rules and issued a grovelling apology.
She was earlier forced into another apology for breaching coronavirus rules by flying to Cairo and not isolating upon her return.
Rita said: ‘I recently flew to Egypt to perform at a corporate event for a private company, where my travel party followed protocol and presented negative Covid tests upon entry, as required by Egyptian authorities.
‘Upon my return to Britain, I should have followed Government advice and isolated myself for the required period. As you know, I didn’t follow Government advice and… I apologise again, unreservedly.’