The Voice Australia coach Kelly Rowland was angered by a ‘degrading’ comment made towards her by one of the male contestants on Monday’s episode.
The former Destiny’s Child star, 39, felt insulted after Ricky Muscat said she was ‘beautiful’ after his audition, only to join Boy George’s team instead.
Kelly told fellow mentor Delta Goodrem she was ‘upset’ because Ricky had praised her for her looks and not her talent – but some fans accused her of double standards.
‘Don’t be a hypocrite’: Kelly Rowland has divided The Voice Australia fans after saying being called beautiful was ‘degrading’… with some claiming she was creating a ‘double standard’
Kelly and George both turned their chairs for 36-year-old music teacher Ricky, and each made their pitch for him to join their team.
‘George, I love you. Kelly, you’re so beautiful. The coach that I am choosing is George,’ Ricky said.
‘It is the most frustrating s**t… It’s so degrading. It really p**ses me off,’ Kelly vented to Delta afterwards.
‘Like “Oh, you’re so cute”, or “you’re so pretty”. I’ve been here [in the music industry] for 20-something years.’
‘George, I love you. Kelly, you’re so beautiful. The coach that I am choosing is George,’ Ricky Muscat, 36, said on Monday
However, some viewers were quick to point out she had greeted the contestant just a few minutes earlier by saying, ‘Hello, good looking’.
‘How is Kelly affronted because he called her pretty, when she turned around the first thing she said to him was that he was good looking? Seriously, bruh. Build a bridge, and get the f over it,’ one fan tweeted.
‘The hypocrisy of Kelly Rowland on The Voice. Often objectifies male contestants (pet hate of mine) and then complains when one calls her beautiful. Her first words to said contestant was “hey good looking”. Glass houses,’ another wrote.
A third added: ‘Kelly comments on the looks of all guys when she thinks they’re attractive… but when he calls her beautiful it’s degrading?! Double standards at their finest.’
Double standard? Some fans were quick to point out she had also greeted the contestant by saying ‘hello good looking’
‘How is Kelly affronted because he called her pretty, when she turned around the first thing she said to him was that he was good looking?! Seriously, bruh. Build a bridge, and get the f over it,’ one fan wrote
A similar tweet read: ‘Kelly said being called beautiful is degrading but Kelly called him good looking? Isn’t that just as degrading? Don’t be a hypocrite.’
‘Kelly has quite a long history of talking about appearances that has nothing to do with the performance,’ another fan wrote, alongside footage of Kelly saying a male contestant looked ‘so damn hot’.
However, some fans supported Kelly and said she was only upset about Ricky’s tone and the context in which he praised her looks.
‘His comment implied that beauty was all she had to offer’: Other fans have argued she was frustrated by the comment because it disregarded her talent by exclusively focusing on her appearance
‘It’s so degrading’: Kelly told Delta Goodrem she was ‘upset’ the only thing he said to her was about her looks
‘It’s the tone used that is what she is referring too… that’s my opinion,’ one supporter tweeted.
Another explained: ‘The issue isn’t that he thought she’s beautiful, the issue was that in deciding between two coaches offering their help, all he did was comment on her looks and nothing on her experience/talent.’
A third wrote: ‘True she called him good looking and he called her beautiful. Difference is, his comment implied that beauty was all she had to offer [as a mentor] – it diminished her talent.
‘A better response would have been “Even though I recognise your experience & talent, I pick George.”‘
‘The issue isn’t that he thought she’s beautiful, the issue was that in deciding between two iconic coaches offering their help, all he did was comment on her looks and nothing on her experience/talent,’ one fan explained