Rita Ora is escaping the U.K. and heading Down Under to join the judging panel on TV talent show The Voice Australia.
The singer, who came under fire for breaking Covid rules when she hosted a 30th birthday party last month when England was in national lockdown, will be joining Australian stars Keith Urban, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy on the show in 2021, and calls the gig "a match made in heaven".
"I love The Voice and I adore Australia," she says. "Having been a coach on the U.K. series, I know how powerful it can be."
Rita is not new to judging talent shows, having appeared on The Voice and X Factor in Britain in 2015. She also sat on the panel for the 2020 series of The Masked Singer in her native Britain.
The news comes weeks after Rita was slammed for ignoring government guidelines and hosting a birthday bash at the Casa Cruz restaurant in Notting Hill, West London. The singer apologised and agreed to pay a fine.
Earlier this week, it was reported she had jetted out of England to Bulgaria in an attempt to law low for a while.
"Rita has beaten herself up about her mistakes but has thrown herself back into work to take her mind off things," a source told The Sun. "She spent most of this year working on her music and is now hoping to return with new tracks in early 2021, with the video to one single being filmed at the moment in Bulgaria.
"She doesn’t want to be in London right now so has booked a relaxing holiday over Christmas and New Year in the hope she can start afresh in January. Taking some time out to reflect on everything that has happened is very important to her right now."
