Young Talent Time judge Tina Arena, with host Rob Mills, will tell contestants exactly how it is. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Tina Arena is talking, with trademark frankness, about her judging style on Young Talent Time.

It sounds like the contestants on the Channel 10 children's talent show are going to get a healthy dose of tough love.

Arena knows all too well how hard it can be to carve out a long-term entertainment career.

Arena started on the original Young Talent Time when seven. She scored six Aria awards, sold eight million records worldwide, and had a slew of hits, including Chains and Burn, fame in Europe, especially France - but not without some knocks.

Along the way, Arena has had to confront racism, and anger towards her parents, Giuseppe and Franca.

"I knew the journey was going to be tough," the 44-year-old says. "I was certainly under no illusions, even when I was young.

"That decision to be part of YTT back then put me on the most incredible journey of life.

"I wouldn't have been able to have all the experiences - good, mediocre, some really s---house ones personally and professionally (without it)."

The new YTT differs slightly from the original. Ten children aged between 11 and 16 make up the Young Talent Team. Each show will also feature four contestants judged by Arena and US choreographer Chucky Klapow, who has worked with Michael Jackson.

Former Australian Idol finalist Rob Mills replaces Johnny Young as host. Mills was originally set to host Ten's Don't Stop Believing but the talent show, based on a UK format very similar to YTT, was scrapped in late 2010.

If Arena gets her way, the kids won't be treated with kid gloves.

"I think it is important that the kids are surrounded by a lot of love but also honesty," Arena says. "They need a sense of realism."

In late 2010, Arena confessed on genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are that she had felt abandoned as a youngster because her parents devoted so much time to running a Moonee Ponds nursing home. She also endured racial taunts that she found "really crippling".

"I was referred to as a wog and made to feel insecure and worthless.

"I've had some real issues of abandonment. Deep anger towards my parents for devoting so much time to the community ... why was it them over us?"

Those wounds have slowly healed, and Arena is relishing the chance to spend time with her parents during her six-month stay in Australia for Young Talent Time.

"Time has moved very quickly (and) they have aged," Arena says.

"He just turned 80 and she turned 76.

"Having their daughter and son-in-law around is very good for them."

Arena and partner, French artist Vincent Mancini, have been based in Paris since 2008 and have a son, Gabriel, aged six.

Young Talent Time, Channel 10, Sundays, 6.30pm from January 22.