Cee Lo Green Weighs in on 'The Steal' Rounds on 'The Voice'

Cee Lo Green shares his thoughts on season 3's addition of "The Steal" rounds on The Voice.

Cee Lo told THR that he was initially apprehensive about the addition of the judges "steals" to the show.   He said that he was worried that the steals would, "become even more awkward and uncomfortable for the artists – and for us. Because it’s pretty difficult to have to encourage someone, and then take it away from them in a matter of days. It seems so unfair."

Cee Lo later warmed to the idea saying, "The steals actually became a silverlining and sustained something very special about the show in general – that optimism that if offers. That second and third opportunity for some, which is great. People get five or six chances on the show."

I think this statement gets to the heart of one of the aspects of The Voice that differentiates it from The X Factor and American Idol.  The Voice really does offer a second chance to contestants like Frenchie Davis, Tony Lucca and Jordis Unga who have either competed on other singing competitions and/or had past record deals that didn't pan out.

The Voice has received mixed reaction from viewers regarding this "second chance" aspect of the show.  Some love it and enjoy seeing a favorite contestant from another show get another shot at stardom, while others deride the show for recycling other talent competition's "rejects."

Personally, I'm with Cee Lo on this one.  How far you make it on one of these shows or even in a career as a musician can be such a fickle process.  How you look, your perceived personality, a scandal or even an untimely vocal problem or illness can dash the hopes of a promising contestant, so why not give them another shot to prove they have what it takes?

If the judge's steals give someone a chance to recover from an off performance or just a mentor they aren't clicking with, then I'm all for it.

The Voice season 3 premieres tonight on NBC.