Bruce Dickinson Turns Down Offer to Judge UK Version of ‘The Voice’

Rejected!

'The Voice' is a certified ratings smash in the US, but that's not factoring into Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson's decision to turn down a seat on the coaching panel for the forthcoming UK version of the series, the rights of which were acquired by the BBC. Dickinson went as far as calling the offer "demeaning" and relished the fact that he was able to say "no" to the BBC!

Dickinson told Britain's The Sun, "That show sounds so... demeaning to everyone involved. I took great delight in turning the BBC down. 'The X Factor' is appalling enough..." Ouch. Dickinson was not mincing words or hiding his opinion about reality talent shows, was he?

A Dickinson-less 'The Voice' will begin airing in the UK next year.

The show features a panel of celebrity coaches who select vocalists for their team via blind auditions, based on their voices alone. Once a hopeful is selected to a coach's team, the coach then mentors the vocalist as they engage in battle rounds and live performances until someone is crowned an overall winner.

Dickinson is known for his room-filling, powerhouse voice, so we can understand why he was asked. But wouldn't it have been a hoot to watch him dispense advice to wanna be vocalists? If Judas Priest can appear on 'American Idol,' anything is possible, no?

Watch 'The Final Frontier' from Iron Maiden