Knockout blow? Boy George and Will.i.am may be the show's most famous mentors but they ended up with the weakest teams on The Voice UK, by Jim Shelley 

It was advantage Paloma Faith and Ricky Wilson after a bad night for Boy George and Will.i.am in the second Knockout round of The Voice UK.

The two stars may be the most famous, successful, and pioneering of the four mentors but somehow they find themselves going into next week's Live show with teams that are far weaker than their rivals'.

They seemed to know it, too. Will - the programme's habitually hyperactive eccentric - was uncharacteristically muted, so subdued he looked almost disinterested while his acts performed.

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Knockout blow? Boy George (left) and Will.i.am (right) may be the most famous and successful stars on The Voice UK, but they were left with the weakest teams on Sunday night's Knockout episode

'I thought, this is going to be boring,' he admitted about one of the best three he ended up keeping.

No wonder Emma Willis had summed up his eight contestants with the unintentionally damning description: 'a lot of singing, some rapping, and a violin.'

Not good...

As for Boy George, he was so insecure about the quality of his group he was constantly consulting Paloma and asking the others for their opinion. But he was seriously naïve if he believed Will.i.am and Ricky were really, really, going to help him.

'What did you think?' George asked about Bradley's performance.

She's loving it: Paloma Faith had plenty of enthusiasm for the singing hopefuls, especially Vangelis - Boy George's act

'It was good,' Will shrugged. 'It's hard to say without hearing everyone though.

It was noticeable that Will, Paloma and Ricky all recommended other singers to those George ultimately went for. Mind games perhaps? Suggesting duds to confuse him?

Whether Paloma's enthusiasm for Vangelis influenced her pal we will never know but he seemed to remain doubtful about the failings of even the singers he put through, especially Vangelis.

'I loved it!' she trilled.

'Really?!' George cried. 'I thought it was a little unconnected.'

Given that he said his choices were based on the criteria 'singing is completely emotional', it didn't exactly inspire confidence that he concluded gravely Harry also 'needed to work on connecting emotionally.'

Dull dud of a show? Emma Willis - joined by co-host Marvin Humes - had summed up Will's eight contestants with the unintentionally damning description: 'a lot of singing, some rapping, and a violin'

In the end Boy George's and Will.i.am's choices were more straightforward and less contentious than Ricky's and Paloma's. But this did not mean their teams were stronger or that they had three singers that were outstanding. On the contrary, the majority of their candidates were so mediocre they gave them fewer of the dilemmas facing the younger mentors last week.

It said everything that one of Ricky Wilson's rejects (Rachel Ann) was better than all of those that made it into George and Will's teams. They each had only one contestant who has a real chance of triumphing in the final: Cody (in Boy George's team) and Lyrickal (in Team Will.i.am).

Paloma meanwhile has two potential winners (Heather and Jordan) and Ricky the most popular contenders who are arguably the favourites (Chloe and Kevin). The most colourful, creative, judges seemed to realise too late that somehow they have ended up with teams that are horribly dull.

Here's how the second Knockout round went.

Line-up: Team Boy George consisted of (L-R) Alaric, Laura,  Harry, Bradley, Leighton, Vangelis, Chase and Cody

TEAM BOY GEORGE

Should have gone through: Cody, Leighton, Chase

Did go through: Cody, Vangelis, Harry

ALARIC**

The gentle giant produced an interpretation of the Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody that was not so much 'radical' as 'unrecognisable.' It always had been hard imagining the mini Meatloaf winning, so when Ricky Wilson's recommended George put him in his final three it looked like a clear case of mischief making.

Not the best he's done: Alaric produced an interpretation of the Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody that was not so much 'radical' as 'unrecognisable.'

No sale: For Laura, the song choice of The Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition was a poor choice (too obscure and too weedy)

LAURA**

'I would have gone with something emotional,' George tutted to Paloma after Laura sang The Temper Trap's Sweet Disposition. Admittedly it was a poor choice (too obscure and too weedy) but considering he was her mentor, his complaint was a bit rich and too late.

HARRY*

'It's very risky doing one of Adele's songs,' worried George beforehand (rightly). Anyone's version of Hello was obviously never going to be as good and Harry's was just a racket. Impressively he hit some big notes but without actually sounding very appealing. 'It's like he's going into battle !' scorned George (accurately), before inexplicably putting him through, even though Harry has zero chance of winning.

Risky move: Harry performed a rousing rendition of Adele's hit Hello, and it paid off as he went through to the live shows

Not this time: Bradley failed to impress and get a place in the quarter finals with his rendition of Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine) by Klangarussell ft Will Heard

Bad move? Leighton's white soul vocal was as unfashionable as Mick Hucknall though and, despite Will.i.am's endorsement, criminally lost out to Harry

BRADLEY**

'Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)' by Klangarussell ft Will Heard may have been his dad's favourite song but that didn't make it a good idea and was no excuse for inflicting it on us.

LEIGHTON****

Leighton's choice on the other hand (George Benson's Feel Like Makin' Love) was a song everyone knows and likes but you rarely hear any more. Leighton's white soul vocal was as unfashionable as Mick Hucknall though and, despite Will.i.am's endorsement, criminally lost out to Harry.

VANGELIS***

The contestants were supposedly picking their own songs for the Knockout round – to reflect their taste and/or personality. But his mentor drew the line when Vangelis chose Viva Forever by the Spice Girls. Understandable really. When Boy George said the Elvis Presley classic Always On My Mind was 'a bit more emotional' it was something of an understatement.

Well done! Vangelis sang Elvis Presley's Always On My Mind, and made it through to the live shows

CHASE**

'It's not just about being confident at this point,' George warned Chase as he rehearsed If You Let Me Stay by Terence Trent D'Arby, advising him to perform more to his Number One fan. 'Imagine the whole audience is full of Palomas! Wouldn't that be scary?! All that hairspray !' He was still distinctly average.

CODY****

'I think she's the real thing,' cooed George about the 17 year-old rebel. 'I'm a little bit in love with Cody!' At least she offered something spirited and her version of Another Brick In the Wall was different from the usual adolescent bleating. She is easily George's best hope.

Still chasing the dream: Chase was adored by Paloma but not his mentor, Boy George

Teen talent: Cody continued to impress with her latest performance - she is easily George's best hope to win the contest as she has also made it through to the next stage 

TEAM WILL

Should have gone through: Lyrickal, Lauren, Lydia

Did go through: Lyrickal, Lauren, Lydia

LYDIA***

'The person who amazed me, and who I think who should be out right now with records and videos and touring is... Lydia,' Will declared. This was Will either being disingenuous or wildly optimistic/deluded. Lydia belted out a rocky version of Taylor Swift's I Knew You Were Trouble, claiming 'I've completely changed it up' – presumably because of a nasty, dated, little rap worthy of Cher Lloyd.

She can make it somewhere: X Factor reject Lydia managed to get through to the live shows on The Voice UK after being chosen by Will.i.am

FAHEEM**

The best song choice of the night with Jermaine Stewart's 'We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off To Have A Good Time.' But sadly Faheem enjoyed it (and the sentiments) too much and came across as a cruise ship entertainer or a groom taking the mic at the party after his wedding.

CHARLEY BLUE*

'Charley Blue is like a ninja warrior!' announced Will.i.am. 'I sing, I rap, and I play the violin.' Unfortunately, individually, she did none of these very well. Together, they were awful. Even Will found her enthusiasm for Tinie Tempah's Frisky and the sentiments of its lyrics alarming.

Didn't hit the right notes: Faheem's version of Jermaine Stewart's We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off made him come across like a cruise ship entertainer

Doting dad: Will was impressed because Theo carried pictures of his kids – as if other fathers didn't - and he performed a touching rendition of Ed Sheeran's Photograph

Alarming: Even Will found Charley Blue's enthusiasm for Tinie Tempah's Frisky and the sentiments of its lyrics alarming

THEO**

Will was impressed because Theo carried pictures of his kids – as if other fathers didn't. 'Photograph by Ed Sheeran is an emotional song for me, because whenever I hear this song it makes me thing of my kids,' Theo said, getting them out of his wallet. The photographs that is, not his children.

TOM*

'Tom is the bomb!' Will claimed and certainly you wished he would go off as he delivered a horribly twitchy, gimmicky, bratty, rap version of Ariana Grande's Problem that was so excruciating he made Dappy look like Jay-Z.

'Tom is the bomb!' Harry Styles lookalike Tom recieved high praise from Will but didn't make it through

Never out of her comfort zone: Although filled with potential, Eli never challenged herself and failed to make it through

She's in: Lauren a perfectly average, generic, version of Release Me by Agnes but was put through by Will probably because she will do better in the next round

A potential winner? Lyrikal seriously impressed with his freestyle rap and has made it through to the next round

ELI***

Despite the pleas of her original mentor Boy George and then Will, Eli never did stop holding back and step out of her comfort zone. Made Rebecca Ferguson look like Diana Ross.

LAUREN**

Sang a perfectly average, generic, version of Release Me by Agnes but was put through by Will probably because she will do better in the next round.

LYRICKAL****

'He sings better than me, he raps better than most rappers I've ever met!' argued Will.i.am, which was some claim considering he's worked with the likes of Nas. Still at least Lyrickal's version of the Professor Green version of Read All About It by Emile Sande had some energy and personality. It had a bit of beat-boxing too – the type of gimmick that only makes him look more like a busker than a decent singer. Admittedly it was the first time Lyrickal had struck you as a potential winner, although he will have to take himself seriously first.

Coming soon: The judges will have to face the live shows as this series of The Voice UK prepares to come to an end - the next episode airs on Saturday, BBC One at 7pm