The Voice of Ireland has suffered a loss in viewers this year – just in it’s first episode of the series.
The premiere episode of the fifth season which aired on Sunday night had an audience of just under half a million people.
487,000 people tuned in to the talent show, which was a drop of 85,000 compared to last year’s debut episode.
Loss: Â The Voice has suffered a ratings drop
According to RTE figures, the episode had an average of 571,000 tuning into the first episode, although  there was a massive 1.66 million people watching TV at the time.
Producers of the show have switched up the format this year with contestants now given permission to choose their own songs for the first three weeks of the show.
“I get an awful lot of stick with my song choices because Kian and the other guys don’t know any other song if it is not on the top 20 Billboard chart,” judge Bressie told the Irish Daily Star.
Thrilled: Bressie is happy with the changes producers have made
“I think people picking their own songs will be a massive indication to me of the kind of people I want to work with.”
It comes after recent speculation that The Voice was being axed by RTE in favour of a ‘new entertainment show’.
