90s icon LeAnn Rimes reveals why she ‘regularly broke down’ filming The Voice UK

LeAnn Rimes has explained why she was frequently overcome with emotion while working on The Voice UK.

The American singer, 42, began her music career when she was just a teenager, since going on to sell a staggering 48 million records worldwide.

This year she has also become a coach on both The Voice Australia and The Voice UK, the latter of which returned to screens last weekend.

There have already been several emotional moments on the reality singing series, however LeAnn has teased that viewers can expect many more.

She’s also revealed when filming the blind auditions, she struggled to hold back tears.

‘I cried the whole time,’ she told and other media during the recent launch event for the show.

At the screening, LeAnn and her fellow judges Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones all watched the premiere episode for the first time, with some left upset seeing the artists they didn’t choose for their teams.

‘We don’t get the stories of the artists we don’t turn around for and to watch their backstories, we were sitting there heartbroken for some of them,’ she explained.

Asked what sort of performance spurred her to hit her red button and turn her chair, she continued: ‘When it touches me and I’m crying I am turning. It can get really emotional on set and Tom (Fletcher), and I were talking, and he cried just as much as I did.’

Speaking about deciding to sign up to the series, LeAnn said getting to act as a coach and mentor rather than judging aspiring artists was a major drawcard.

‘I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t a kind show. You want to give people creative criticism – not shatter their hopes and dreams. I think a lot of people went too far back in the day,’ she added, referencing the harsh criticisms dished out to musicians in past reality talent shows.

Despite the emotional moments to come, LeAnn was left in fits of laughter last week during an audition when being jokingly poked fun at by a contestant.

After turning her chair for singer Joy Farrukh, LeAnn was invited up on stage to sing a duet of Elton John’s Your Song.

After admitting she didn’t know some of the lyrics LeAnn pushed on, but hilarity ensued when she sung ‘I don’t have much money…’

At that point, Joy’s eyes widened and she questioned, ‘really?’, sending everyone in the studio into fits of laughter before eventually giving them a standing ovation.