Ryan Tedder joins Team Delta on The Voice Australia

March 1, 2013 / Artin / http://deltadai.ly/ilx3i

Ryan Tedder joins Team Goodrem on The Voice Australia

BEYONCE’S hitmaker Ryan Tedder has put his pen to paper and inked a deal with Channel 9′s The Voice Australia, teaming up with Delta Goodrem as the first of four new celebrity mentors.

The OneRepublic frontman and prolific songwriter is set to jet into Sydney in the coming days, to join Goodrem and the new local mentoring line-up of Jessica Mauboy (Team Ricky), Ben Lee (Team Joel) and former Sneaky Sound System singer, Connie Mitchell (Team Seal).

The new quartet replaces Ricki-Lee Coulter, Megan Washington, Darren Hayes and Joel Madden’s twin brother, Benji who played supporting roles in the blockbuster success of the series last year.

Nine Network executive producer Adrian Swift said the changes would “add breadth” to the coaching ranks, using people each of the team leaders “know their style and respect”.

Bondi indie pop favourite Ben Lee revealed he befriended the Madden brothers before they broke through as Good Charlotte, after they snuck backstage at one of his concerts to play him one of their songs.

Lee said yesterday: “They had that unique mix of confidence, charisma and talent that left me unsurprised when their careers blew up several years later. It is this same blend of characteristics that make singers really connect to their audience and I’m excited to have the chance to help Joel bring out the best in his team this year.”

On a roll from her AACTA, ARIA and NRL anthem success, Mauboy said it was “an honour to be working closely with such an incredible world class artist” in her Sony stablemate, Martin, who hand-picked the young diva after watching her film The Sapphires on the plane to Australia last month.

Mauboy said she was “extremely excited” to work with Ricky and help him discover and nurture new Aussie talent.

Mitchell’s inclusion in the upcoming season apparently came after a fateful dinner at Icebergs last May, on the same night The Voice coaches were celebrating their top-rating series launch in the restaurant’s adjoining bar.

Introduced to the British soul singer and the producers of the series by mutual music industry, the flamboyant Mitchell impressed and earned her place supporting Seal’s new team of Voice hopefuls, who have all begun preparations for next week’s pre-recorded Battle Rounds (to be filmed at Fox Studios next Saturday and Monday).

Ricky Martin and Seal are expected to fly back into Australia early next week, while Joel Madden will jet in this weekend.

Delta Goodrem’s new TV sidekick Tedder was yesterday at the centre of rumours he could make a special guest appearance at her Mardi Gras party performance tomorrow night.

The American singer-songwriter is best known for his group’s global break-up anthem, Apologize, as well as writing and producing hits for Beyonce (including her I Am Fierce hit, Halo), Aussie pop sensation Cody Simpson and TV reality alumni like Leona Lewis (UK X Factor) and Adam Lambert (the American Idol runner-up).

Goodrem and Tedder were paired for The Voice as they are currently working on new material together for the Aussie artist to record.