Nick Lachey discusses new singing competition "The Winner Is..."
Credit: NBC
The Winner Is... is a unique new singing competition that's part The Voice and part Deal or No Deal, in which singers perform and then wager on whether a jury of 101 voters will give their performance the figurative thumbs up. Host Nick Lachey took part in a conference call to discuss the unique format of the show, and how he became involved with the project.
A special preview of the series airs tonight after The Voice!
On how he first became involved with the show:
Nick Lachey: Well, obviously I've had kind of an ongoing relationship with NBC, and done a few projects over the years. I was in The Sing-Off and last summer's Stars Earn Stripes, hosted the Macy's fireworks on the network. So we've developed a relationship. And as this show started to come into fruition, they brought it to my attention.
And what really excited me about, you know, The Winner Is in particular ... it's the kind of show that I think hasn't been done yet on TV. I've never seen a show quite like it, which really kind of piqued my interest and got me excited to be a part of it.
So I think it really - it came about first through NBC and then they reached out to me and kind of gauged my interest. And again, I was very interested and that's kind of how it all came together.
On his opinion of singing competitions, and whether he'd have taken that route had such shows been around when he was first breaking into the business, or if he felt he was better served coming up in the business the way he did:
Nick Lachey: Well I think what's great about shows that feature musicians and singers in particular, it really gives people, you know, from every walk of life and people from all around the country the opportunity to showcase their talents. And as you know, when we [98 Degrees] were coming up, and we really had to make the decision to move to either New York or LA in order to be discovered, that's kind of where the business was happening then. But now people have ... all these other shows where they're able to kind of expose their talent. They have the opportunity to get themselves out there in a whole new way.
You know, had these avenues been available to us back in the mid 90s, we would have been all over it. But again, I think this show is different from anything that I've seen done on television. Certainly we have singing competition shows and we've had quite a few of those come up over the years. But what makes this one so different is it really combines the talent and the great performances of a singing competition show with the gameplay and the strategy of a game show. It combines those two in a way that I don't think we've seen done before, which is why it was so interesting to me.
On how the show found these contestants:
Nick Lachey: We had a great scouting department that really searched the country, you know, for great talent. And again, I can't emphasize enough that these are talented people from every walk of life. I mean, everything from an emergency room nurse to a chicken farmer to a 10-year-old 6th grader. You know, I think we've really captured talent from all across the country.
And so there were five - four or five different cities. And then you could go and actually audition. But in addition to that we took submissions online. And again, the scouting department did a great job of finding, truly, the most talented people in the country, and bringing them to LA for the show. So I really commend them for doing a great job.
On how big of a risk-taker he'd be if he were a contestant on the show:
Nick Lachey: Well I think that's the real captivating thing about this show. I think, you know, any performer who comes into this, they're coming in with the intention of going all the way and winning the $1 million. I mean, that's the goal.
But when you kind of get in the heat of the battle, and you just give them your performance, and your opponent's giving a great performance, it's really tough to reason how the 101 judges in the audience have voted the thing. So it becomes walking the fine line between being confident in your performance and in yourself, but also trying to take yourself out of the situation enough to be objective and say "Alright, should I take the money? It'd be a shame to walk home with nothing right now. Should I take the money and leave with something in my pocket?"
So that's where the real drama comes into this whole thing. So it's tough to know. I mean, you like to think you'd go in and make the ... the rational, smart decision but, you know, when you're in the heat of the battle, I think you can ask any performer. We have a great amount of pride in what we do. And it's tough to admit that you've been beaten, so to speak. So ... it becomes a real mental challenge to balance those things and make the right decisions so fast.
On how many episodes are in the first season:
Nick Lachey: For this first one I believe we have seven, which includes the - which includes the $1 million finale. Or is that wrong, maybe six. I can't remember now offhand.
Nikki Lichterman (Sr. NBC Press Manager): Seven.
Nick Lachey: Seven, yeah. So there's seven. So there's six preliminary episodes, and then the 7th one is the $1 million finale where we take the winner of the previous six, and then they all compete for the chance at the $1 million. So that's what kind of makes up the first season.
On his past with The Voice coach Blake Shelton, after having beaten him on Clash of the Choirs:
Nick Lachey: Well now, as you say, I'm sure if you asked Blake, he wouldn't admit that I actually beat him on Clash of the Choirs. That he gave up that crown. But no, as you mentioned, Blake's a fantastic guy and I had a chance to work with him pretty early in his career and got a chance to know him and realize what a great guy and what a great character he is. So I couldn't be happier for all his successes, and certainly he's doing a great job on The Voice, so I'm very happy for him.
On what it is about reality shows that clicks for him:
Nick Lachey: Well, you know, for me being able to still be around music and be a part of something that celebrates great talent and celebrates music is kind of a no-brainer. I mean, it's certainly where I started in my career. Music is and always will be, for me, a real passion. So it's very exciting and very kind of organic for me to be a part of a show like this that, you know, really celebrates talent.
And I think the other part of reality that has always made sense to me is it really allows me to be myself. I'm very comfortable with who I am and, you know, being kind of an open book, which is something I think in reality is kind of a crucial thing. So for me, that's always been both a natural and a very comfortable place to be, on-camera.
On his album of lullabies, and whether he'd allow his son, Camden, to pursue a career in music:
Nick Lachey: The inspiration for the lullaby record was most definitely Camden. You know, as I've said before, some of the emotions you go through as a new father ... music has always been a great way for me to express myself. So to do a lullaby album just made a lot of sense. It was a very kind of special and emotional way to go through that process, for me. And if, you know, one day Camden wanted to be a singer, I would definitely support that.
I certainly don't take for granted all the things that music has meant to me in my life, and all the great opportunities it's given me and my family. So that would definitely be something I would support. But at the same time, I'd be equally supportive if he didn't want to ever have anything to do with music.
I want him to be his own individual and do what he wants to do, and kind of blaze his own trails. So there'll be no pressure from dad if he decides he wants to go a different way, but I would definitely support it and certainly will ... expose him to music and all that it can bring in your life.
On his involvement with the talent on The Winner Is:
Nick Lachey: Sometimes when you're in this business, it can become such a business that you can forget sometimes the joy of why you started singing to begin with. And what I've found is in doing shows like this, you kind of get that rekindled. You see the organic joy and excitement that these people have for what they love to do, which is sing.
And the opportunity to be on a grand stage, you know, like on the Universal Lot in Hollywood, living their dreams. For me, it's a real ... exciting way to be around music and be around people who love what they do. And look, if they go on to become the next Justin Bieber, great. If they win some money and go back home and go back to their job and keep singing and doing it because they love to do it, that's equally great. Music's something that we all can enjoy in our own way, whether we sing it or listen to it or dance to it or what have you. And it's just fun to be around people who enjoy and appreciate music for what it can bring.
On how the jury chosen, and whether he agreed with the choices they made:
Nick Lachey: For the first part of your question, these are people who - they're music experts. They're either producers or they're maybe music teachers, they're bloggers, they're music critics. So they're people who have some knowledge and some exposure to music. They're not just randomly selected from the audience. They are a specific, pre-determined group of 101 people who will be voting on each and every performance. And they change every episode. So it's a different 101 each and every episode.
And the second part of your question is no, I didn't necessarily agree with every decision they made, which is, I think, a little bit of the drama of it. You think you might be able to predict how the 101 is going to vote. But what I've found and, I think, what the contestants found is sometimes there really is no way to predict.
I mean, it's certainly based on talent and on performance, but it's also based on charisma, it's based on how you were able to interact with the audience, what your stage presence was. So there's quite a few different variables that the 101 considers when they make their vote. And there simply is no way to predict how they're going to vote on a particular artist. And even times when I felt like they made the right decision, I thought maybe it was a little more lopsided than I had anticipated. ... And that's where, again, the real drama comes in because these contestants have to make a decision on the fly as to whether they're going to take the money and walk or, you know, stick it out and risk going home with nothing based on the vote of 101 people they've never met.
On how the songs are selected, and whether that affects the judging:
Nick Lachey: Well I do think song selection does sometimes, you know, come into play. I think certain songs resonate more with the judges than others. At the same time, someone could come out and do a great operatic aria that's certainly not something you hear a lot on these types of shows. But it could resonate in a way that makes it very special and makes it stand out. So I do think song selection can certainly come into play.
The contestants do have the opportunity to select their song. I mean, we want them to feel like they're coming in with their best foot forward and coming in the most comfortable they can be. So it's a combination. ... I've seen times when someone maybe picked a song that wasn't necessarily a great choice and maybe it did have an impact on the judges' decision. But I've also seen people make kind of a curious choice, again, with something like an aria that at first you're like, "This could be an absolute train wreck." But it turns out to be a brilliant one.
So you just never know. You never know how they're going to respond. But it definitely does play a part in the decision making, I think.
The Winner Is... premieres tonight at 10:00 PM ET on NBC, with an additional episode airing June 17th at 10:00 PM ET, before resuming its regular time slot on July 11th.
Check out a video preview of The Winner Is... below, featuring American Idol season six alum Lakisha Jones!