kicked off its 13th season on Monday night with returning coach being joined by Kate-Miller Heidke, Adam Lambert and Leann Rimes. Up for grabs is a $100,000 cash prize and an all-inclusive recording package for the performer who can rack up enough votes from the public as the competition progresses. The first night of blind auditions saw a mix of talent, from a 60-something-year-old rocker bringing down the house with Billy Idol's 'Rebel Yell' to nervous 19-year-old dad of two, Manawa Randall, who bravely sang Leann's mega-hit 'How Do I Live.
' While none of the coaches opted to turn around for the young singer, Guy urged him to come back next year and Leann got up and sang the song with him for support. While her kindness toward Manawa was praised online, Leann later found herself on the brunt of some criticism after using a new tactic in the series. For the first time ever, each coach receives one Ultimate Block - giving them the power to block the three other coaches and ensuring that the performer they want ends up on their team.
The coaches also receive one Block each, giving them the power to block a rival coach from getting an artist they turned their chair for. When Reuben De Melo from Perth got up on stage and started singing Icy Fire by Ed Sheeran, it wasn't long before he had all four judges turning around. The 31-year-old dad of two is a FIFO worker who explained in his pre-taped package that's never done something like this but would love to make music his career .