Finally, a win for #TeamVanCoke!

Coach Francois van Coke won his first four-chair singer in the exciting third episode of The Voice South Africa Season 3, doubling #TeamVanCoke's numbers to two singers! But with #TeamRiky in the lead with seven team members, followed by #TeamLIRA and #TeamRiana with six each, Francois still has a lot of catching up to do.

First up to impress the coaches this week was 35-year-old Christiaan Baartman, a full-time musician from Pretoria. Accompanying himself on the acoustic guitar, Christiaan performed Chris Stapleton's Tennessee Whiskey, and coach Francois van Coke, who still only had one singer in his team at this point, turned for him immediately. But, as always, he had to go head-to-head with coach Riky Rick and once again, #TeamFrancois lost a potential champion to #TeamRiky.

The Voice SA is all about discovering the best voice, nothing else, and who better to embody that ethos than 64-year-old grandmother Stephne Rose, who wants to use her singing talent to build a better life for the three grandchildren in her care. Granny Rose thrilled the studio audience with the Tom Jones classic It's Not Unusual, but sadly, not one coach turned for her. LIRA gave her a big hug and explained that there's so much going through a coach's head in their big red chair, “but I want to tell you, you were exceptional,” she told Granny Rose, and requested a mic to do an impromptu duet encore performance with the gutsy granny.

Rayleen Padayachee (27) from Benoni tried her hand at Alicia Keys' challenging If I Ain't Got You, and LIRA hit her big red button within the first bar. Coach Riky Rick waited to see how Rayleen handled the high notes before he, too, turned his chair, followed closely by Francois. Francois fought hard for her, but Rayleen threw her lot in with fellow Benonite LIRA. “If I had a tail I would be wagging it!” LIRA gloated happily.

Thirty-year-old Francois Viljoen started his singing career in the Drakensberg Boys Choir as a youngster, and his passionate rendition of the Robbie Williams hit Feel earned him the fifth spot on #TeamRiana.

Next up was an 18-year-old Grade 11 schoolgirl, Morgan Beesley, who confided to the cameras how she used to be bullied at school for singing opera and “not fitting in”. But her angelic performance of the Pie Jesu from Fauré's Requiem gave the coaches goosebumps, and Riky Rick was the first to turn for her, followed at the last minute by LIRA. Morgan took a chance on the rapper and became the seventh member of a very diverse #TeamRiky.

Music student Mbali Motha (25) from Soweto hoped for a place on #TeamLIRA or #TeamRiana, but unfortunately not one of the coaches turned for her confident rendition of Malaika's Destiny.

The next performer was a 21-year-old beatboxer from Kempton Park, Jedd Willson, who said he was eager to join #TeamRiky to learn more about hiphop. He performed Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise, expertly accompanied by his own beatboxing and backing vocals, but not one of the coaches turned in time. “This is 'The Voice',” Riky Rick explained to the disappointed studio audience. “We're coming here for voices.”

Twenty-three-year-old Ilan van Staden from Krugersdorp missed his shot at The Voice SA Season 2 because auditions clashed with his sister's wedding day. He got to try again this year with Francois van Coke's own song Ek Skyn (Heilig) and both Francois and Riana turned their chairs for him at the very last moment. But then, despite being a devoted Francois van Coke fan since childhood, Ilan chose to be on #TeamRiana. “What must I do?” a frustrated Francois exclaimed. “You've got to turn on the charm,” Riky teased him good-naturedly.

Francois had only two more chances to gain a second team member and he turned immediately for 29-year-old Lora Joplin from Port Elizabeth, singing Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. But unfortunately for him, so did LIRA. Riky Rick personally took charge of the coaches' pitches to the singer, but not even that helped Francois as Lora became the sixth member of #TeamLira.

Ending the episode on a high note was 18-year-old Tasché Burger from Brackenfell, singing the Koos Kombuis classic Lisa se Klavier. Francois, LIRA, and Riky turned for her almost immediately, but Tasché really wanted to be #TeamRiana, and she broke into a massive smile of relief when Riana turned at the very last moment. And then she chose to go with #TeamVanCoke, after all! “I feel like I might cry!” Francois admitted as Riky lead the crowd in a chant of “Francois, jou lekker ding!”

So with Francois finally swelling #TeamVanCoke's ranks to two singers, here's how each coach's team stands at the end of Episode 3:

#TeamRiky: Joel Zuma, Keanu Harker, Amy Tjasink, Joshua Parker, Sabelo Mthembu, Christiaan Baartman, Morgan Beesley

#TeamLIRA: Ross Charles, Petro De Villiers, Mo George, Krista Jonas, Rayleen Padayachee, Lora Joplin

#TeamRiana: Lelo Ramasimong, Greunen Parker, Verona Goslett, Siki Jo-Ann Owazi, Francois Viljoen, Ilan van Staden

#TeamVanCoke: Sade Ross, Tasché Burger

Riky Rick is now over the halfway point with only five slots out of a possible 12 left on #TeamRiky. LIRA and Riana Nel are both halfway with six slots still open, and Francois still has ten open slots to fill on #TeamVanCoke.

So the pressure on is for the fourth episode of The Voice South Africa this Sunday!



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