"Watching Tom Jones sniff over a fully perspiring contestant has to be seen to be believed," said an insider. "One word: Utter professional."
The Beeb are determined to exploit their 'radical' format that in so many ways is nothing like Pop Idol and The X Factor. Yes, it's a singing talent show with coaches-cum-judges, but for a start they have special chairs that swivel and everything.
Plus there's the blind audition where the plight of the partially-sighted is encapsulated by coaches who look the other way.
Building on the sensory deprivation theme, the next series will see coaches sniffing around the singers, inhaling the scent of stardom, or indeed, something else.
Executives decided against using the sense of touch after an incident in rehearsal led to intimacy, infamy and later, blasphemy.
This year's winner, Leanne Mitchell, wowed the audience with a version of It's A Man's World that really made them want to hear the original. Her big, powerful voice and more importantly, her appearance on telly, makes her eligible to open pounds shops in the not too distant future.
She narrowly defeated Bo Bruce who sang a cover of a cover, proving that she too could sing like someone else. Another groundbreaker, possibly.
Further expansions of the format could see producers ditch the karaoke and just put on a load of old records. Viewers could then vote on them if that really is the only way they can enjoy music.
Copyright : Comedy Central UK