New girl on panel is stunn JUDGE THE VOICE, NOT THE LOOKS Talent show Jen, who lost 5st , blasts weight obsessed critics
SASSY Jennifer Hudson won millions of fans in her debut on The Voice last night – but the US singer won’t thank you for saying she looked gorgeous.
The former cruise ship singer who became an Oscar-winning superstar is only interested in being judged by her voice – just as she will judge hopefuls on ITV’s revamped talent show.
Jennifer, 35, said: “I just love, love, love the title of the show – because that’s what it’s always been about for me, the voice.”
She suffered cruel comments about her weight before slimming down.
And as she joined Sir Tom Jones, Will.i.am and fellow newcomer Gavin Rossdale on the juging panel, she admitted she is infuriated when people judge her on her appearance.
Straight- talking Jennifer told the Sunday People: “I still get judged for my looks. I’ve been on both sides. I’ve heard people say, ‘You need to lose 2 stone.’
“I am who I am but there’s always someone not satisfied with how you look.”
The Chicago- born star went on: “I come from a place where you have to have tough skin. But it was still shocking to me, a person who wasn’t always about image and walking into a world that was about nothing but image.
“And it’s probably the thing that irritates me the most to this day.
“When people say, ‘Oh, you look great,’ I’m like, ‘Did you not hear what just came out of my mouth? Why are we talking about how I look?’ “All I care about is singing.” Former church gospel singer Jennifer rose to fame in 2004, after appearing in Simon Fuller’s American Idol. Despite surprisingly coming only seventh, she went on to secure a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance in the movie musical Dreamgirls.
Even judge Simon Cowell was forced to admit that he was wrong for snubbing her on the show.
He told her: “You’re out of your depth in this competition” – but later congratulated her for her extraodinary achievements.
Smile
Now that she is starring in a talent show rival to Cowell’s The X Factor, fellow judge Will.i.am cheekily joked: “How do you think Simon Cowell will feel – that someone he said ‘No’ to is leading a show on his home network?”
Jennifer put on weight while pregnant with her son David in 2009 but after the birth she embarked on a sensible diet and exercise plan. She l ost an incredible 80 pounds by following a Weight Watchers diet and enlisting the help of celebrity trainer Harley Paternak.
After dropping from a US size 16 to a size six, Jennifer revealed her fabulous transformation on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2011.
She now looks effortlessly beautiful, with flawless skin and a warm smile.
But she still sounded exasperated as she revealed that since losing the pounds she has been treated “completely differently” as a thinner woman.
Jennifer added: “Now its like reintroducing myself to the world. I’m still the same person. But because the world perceives you from the way you look, its like, OK, I’ve got to start over.”