The Voice Australia fans call out 'underwhelming' finale: 'What on earth has happened to Australian TV?!'

The Voice Australia viewers have called out the show's grand finale over one very 'underwhelming' detail.

The 2024 final aired on Sunday night, with LeAnn Rimes' act Reuben De Melo being crowned the winner of the singing competition.

The father-of-three appeared shocked when host Sonia Kruger told him he had won $100,000 in prize money and an artist development package with Studios 301.

However, disgruntled fans complained about the finale being pre-recorded as they pointed out that Reuben's reaction appeared somewhat underwhelming.

While earlier series of The Voice have featured live finals, the singing contest has been pre-recorded in more recent years, with four alternate endings being taped.

The final contestants only find out the result when the show airs on Channel Seven after the public vote, with many viewers complaining Reuben's reaction looked 'fake'.

Taking to social media, one fan fumed: 'Wish it was actually live so we didn't have pre-recorded fake reactions.'

Another questioned: 'Can they bring back live results reactions?! His reaction seemed so underwhelming.'

A third commented: 'I can't get my head around pre-recording the result. It takes the emotion out of the result. Reuben seemed totally underwhelmed. 

'His family seemed so happy and tearful but we know that it was acting so it takes the joy out of watching it.'

While another raged: 'Why was the Finale prerecorded? Either have a live finale or don't bother, ridiculous to end it like that, did you record every artist winning? What on earth has happened to Australian TV? On a happier note, congrats Reuben!'

Another added: 'He seems like the nicest person. This wasn't a criticism of him but the process of pre-recording. No-one had won at that point so the reactions were all pretend. Congratulations to him- he is incredible.'

A friend of Reuben's also commented on The Voice's Instagram winner reveal post to insist that the singer's reaction was much more genuine when the show aired on TV. 

'Reuben is one of my great friends. We had a watch party and trust me, he was not underwhelmed when we all heard the news!' they wrote. 

'I'm sure he'll share on his socials. It was a great moment and couldn't have been won by someone more deserving!'

The winner of the 2021 show Bella Taylor Smith previously complained that it was a 'weird' experience having to record four separate final results in one day. 

'The night of the grand final was full-on busy because not only did we have to film the four alternate endings, but also the four singles performed at the end,' she told Yahoo Lifestyle. 

'And then that night we also did our duets with the coaches and our solo performances as well, and then you had to clean up the confetti at the end and do all of that stuff.'

In Sunday night's finale, Reuben admitted he never thought he would make it to the end of the competition as he was crowned the 2024 winner. 

'I never thought I'd get this far, this is crazy,' he said in the pre-recorded segment upon his victory. 

Elsewhere, celebrity coach LeAnn was quick to share kind words for her mentee following his triumphant win. 

'I'm so proud,' the Can't Fight The Moonlight singer gushed.

'You deserve every bit of this moment and I'm so honoured that I could be on this journey with you. You are incredible.'

Reuben competed in the grand finale alongside Annie Jones from Team Adam, Jaedyn Randell from Team Kate and SKŸE from Team Guy. 

Reuben won $100,000 in prize money plus a music masterclass and industry recording development package with Alexandria-based Studios 301.

It was the first year the winner was not offered an automatic record deal with Universal Music Australia or EMI Music Australia.

It was claimed the controversial move could actually be a good thing for the 2024 winner and break the 'terrible cycle' of talents failing to profit of their wins.

Judge Kate defended the change as she claimed being 'shackled' to a major label early on in your career can be a curse rather than a blessing.

'In the past, some of these artists have ended up locked into contracts with major labels before they've even really figured out who they are as artists,' she told TV Tonight.

'You do need time as an artist to be able to hone your craft. I think the risk, when you're so young or inexperienced, to go out there and be shackled to a major label right off the bat is too early.' 

In a breathtaking final solo performance of House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals, Rueben left all four coaches in awe, with Kate-Miller Heidke praising it as 'exceptional'. 

'I can't stop smiling. You just gave it your all. That was just insane,' added LeAnn, who also joined Reuben onstage for a heartfelt duet of Fix You by Coldplay. 

Reuben captivated Australian audiences - and the show's judges Adam Lambert, Guy Sebastian, Kate and LeAnn - with his very first Blind Audition.

Eager to snap him up, LeAnn used her Ultimate Block to guarantee he would be on her team.

'I knew as soon as he opened his mouth, and I heard him sing. There was just so much feeling there,' she said at the time. 

'There was no way I was letting any of the other coaches get to him before I did.'