Jessica Mauboy knows what it's like to be judged for her talent, having been runner-up to Damien Leith on Australia Idol in 2006.
Since then, she has gone on to become an acclaimed actress appearing in films Bran Nu Dae (2010), and The Sapphires (2012), as well as the lead role in The Secret Daughter (2016-2017) drama series.
Mauboy was also Australia's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, and has released four solo albums, and has multiple acting and music awards.
Now as a coach on The Voice, she hopes to "share my experiences and learnings with them [artists] so they can feel more confident and empowered to create their own unique pathway to follow their dreams".
Born in Darwin, the 32-year-old, who celebrated her birthday on August 4, loved singing at home when she was a child.
"Every day I would run home from school and sit in my favourite place, between the toilet and the shower in our house and hear the acoustics of my voice, the echoing and vibrato sound that would travel in that space. We had lots of tiles in the house, so the acoustics were great," Mauboy says.
She always knew she wanted to sing but never thought she would be as successful as she is "doing something I love every day".
"I felt very humbled to be asked to be a coach on The Voice 2021, but also terrified. This is something I had never done before, but I have loved every minute of it."
Mauboy says it has been an honour to be a part of the performers' stories, which have inspired her every day.
Seated in the other three big red chairs as mentors this season are international superstars Keith Urban, Rita Ora and Australian Idol alumnus Guy Sebastian.
"When I found out I would be sharing the stage with my fellow coaches ... I was over the moon. I admire and respect them all so much and to be invited to share the stage with them ... felt so right.
"I have been blessed to be surrounded by many inspiring mentors during my career and to have the opportunity to give back in some way and share my experiences and impart any knowledge I can is an honour."
The four coaches have become a close family she says.
"It has been a beautiful experience. We all want to see these talented musicians blossom and shine.
"There are some fun battles between us, as the talent is incredible, but at the end of the day each of us is there to support every artist and guide them, giving them a creative space to thrive and embrace this experience and take as much knowledge and inspiration from all of us to become the best artists they can be."
Mauboy says Australian Idol taught her so much about music and the business.
"It taught me to be present and embrace the process and learn as much as you can. I was very fortunate to be surrounded by many incredible mentors who inspired me every day to push a little bit harder and really explore my talent.
"Having been on the other side I can share my experiences and learnings and hopefully empower each of these artists to build on their talent and be there to guide and support them as they grow."
Mauboy is hoping to hear a voice "that will give me goose bumps and make me want to jump out of my seat and want to dance".
"I want to hear all types of voices, big soaring voices, soft tones, growls, voices that make me feel connected to what they are singing."
In such a crowded industry, Mauboy says there is no winning formula for success.
"That's beauty of The Voice. These musicians are all talented and it's our role as a coach to nurture them and give them as much advice and guidance as possible to bring out the best in them as musicians and performers."
And what has been the most rewarding part of her time as a coach so far?
"I feel incredibly grateful to share my experiences and stories with these talented musicians. It's been rewarding to see them grow and shine on The Voice stage.
"It's very humbling to be able to contribute in some way to each of their stories during their time on The Voice and give them the confidence and knowledge to pursue their dream.
Mauboy says she became a huge fan of her group of artists and can't wait to see what they do next.
Her advice to anyone considering auditioning: "Be true to yourself and find your own identity and embrace it with confidence and passion".
