Kylie Minogue to join The Voice

Minogue has released 11 albums and more than 50 hit singles

Pop star Kylie Minogue will replace Jessie J as a coach on The Voice, joining will.i.am and Tom Jones for the third series.

"I'm very excited," the Australian singer said. "I love the concept of the show and have been an avid viewer of both series."

"Will I be competitive? Probably more than even I imagine! Watch this space!"

The pop star, whose hits include Can't Get You Out Of My Head, has sold more than 68 million records worldwide.

Her sister, Dannii, has been a judge on both the UK and Australian versions of X Factor, and has previously enlisted Kylie's help in coaching and selecting contestants.

"In terms of pop royalty, it really doesn't get much better than Kylie," said Moira Ross of The Voice UK's production company, Wall To Wall.

"With more than two decades of global success under her belt, I know she'll bring something truly special to the coaching line-up."

Ratings

The second series of The Voice suffered falling ratings, despite several tweaks to make the show more appealing.

Audiences dropped from an average 9.21 million in 2012, to 7.65 million in 2013.

At its lowest point, the quarter final attracted just 5.14 million viewers against competition from Britain's Got Talent on ITV.

However the final, in which Andrea Begley was crowned victor, outperformed the 2012 equivalent, with 7.95 million tuning in.

Coaches Jessie J and Danny O'Donoghue pulled out after the series ended. Jessie J said she wanted to concentrate on promoting her second album.

"I've absolutely loved my time on The Voice, and I hope everyone saw and knows how passionately I felt about the show," she said on Twitter.

Will.i.am said: "While I will miss Danny and Jessie, I'm excited to be returning for season three and to work with Kylie and Tom.

"Together we will mix it up and bring new energy and ideas to the show."

The search to replace O'Donoghue continues, the BBC said. Series three of The Voice begins in January 2014.