Will.i.am has said he was worried when Kylie Minogue left The Voice that they wouldn't be able to find a good enough replacement - but is happy Rita Ora has been drafted in.

The music producer has sat on the judging panel for all three series of The Voice UK and told the Daily Mirror he had been sad to see Spinning Around singer Kylie exit after one season.

Asked if he was upset to see her go, he said: "Yeah. She's nice. I like nice people. She's kind and fun, y'know? They don't put their mask on all the time to show you their professional side. Kylie's one of those girls - and so is Rita.

"If it wasn't Rita, I wouldn't have done it. So I'm happy that it's Rita. Because when Kylie left I was like, 'Who else are you going to get?'."

Will continued: "Who else? Gwen Stefani is in America doing The Voice, but that would have been cool if we got her here. I don't know who else we could have got."

According to Mail Online, Will was unaware his close friend Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, from rival TV talent show The X Factor, had got married in July after a whirlwind romance.

He said: "She got married already? Oh I didn't even know that! That's cool! I'm happy for her, that's dope."