The Voice heard in Singapore, Malaysia

The Voice sees contestants performing to judges who have their backs turned

Broadcasters in Singapore and Malaysia have come onboard the first version of talent show The Voice to be produced for two countries.

Pay TV operators StarHub in Singapore and Astro in Malaysia will coproduce the local version of The Voice alongside Asian producer MM2 Entertainment, which struck a deal for the format with ITV-owned Talpa last year.

“There’s a strong cultural and historical link between Singapore and Malaysia, and there has been a constant stream of creative collaborations between the two territories, including movies, over the years,” said Ng Say Yong, chief content officer at MM2 Asia.

“We see this coproduction as an extension of that positive relationship and a joint effort to uncover new talent and groom them for the North Asian markets, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China.”

The singing format originated on RTL4 in Holland and was later commissioned by BBC1 in the UK, before being poached by commercial rival ITV. The US version airs on NBC.