Richard Marx Slammed for ‘Unnecessarily Brutal’ Rant Towards ‘The Voice’ Contestant

Richard Marx — a coach on The Voice Australia — received backlash after his fiery rant towards one of the contestants went viral.

After contestant Mikayla Durrant‘s performance of “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” during the Second Chance Round, Marx, 62, advised the 20-year-old to stick to her day job in a clip that was posted on TikTok on Monday, August 31.

“You should be a wildlife scientist because for the people who end up having careers in music, there is no backup plan,” the “Right Here Waiting” singer said after Durrant admitted that she doesn’t write songs and she’s actually studying ecology and conservation.

“If you’re going to do this for a living, you have to be so passionate about it and the answer to every question should be yes. You should write songs,” he continued. “You’re in a business where ‘not really’ won’t cut it, because there are a lot of people who want it so badly that they’ll say yes to everything.”

He added, “Unless you are that committed, this is not for you, despite that beautiful voice.”

Despite not turning any chairs during her performance, Durrant received a standing ovation from some of the judges, including Ronan Keating. Marx, however, stayed seated.

“For all of you in the audience or anybody who knows somebody who is thinking about coming to audition for The Voice, don’t waste our [expletive] time,” he told the audience.

Social media erupted as the clip of their interaction went viral.

“This is so stupid. So she isn’t allowed to be educated. A lot celebrities have backup plans,” one user wrote.

“This was so unnecessary, even the other judges looked like they were disappointed in him,” another added.

“Omg how is she wasting their time? Not one Voice winner has made a career for themselves. These judges ditch them as soon as cameras stop rolling. Isn’t being a judge on a reality show kind of a back up plan?” a third pointed out.

Another chimed in, “Unnecessarily brutal. Ask anyone auditioning for the show and they will tell you they have a day job.”

Durrant later revealed that she was asked to audition for the show by casting agents.

“I was scouted by the show and invited to come and perform via social media. My story and my work with wildlife was a big draw card for my character and was celebrated throughout my time on the show,” she shared via Instagram on Tuesday, September 1. “This was another opportunity to spread awareness and share my life with the world.”