The BBC has issued a swift denial that its reality singing competition ‘The Voice’ is a fix, after Paloma Faith was widely reported as having said that the elimination process had been pre-determined.

The 34 year old English singer, a judge on the show, was said to have told The Mirror on Sunday evening (March 6th) that this weekend’s shock decision to get rid of former Liberty X singer Kevin Simms, after the battle round against 17 year old Faith Nelson, was pre-arranged because she knew that her fellow judge Ricky Wilson would “steal” him for his team if she opted to get rid of him.

Paloma FaithPaloma Faith attending a Brit Awards afterparty in February 2016

“Kevin was the hardest battle round ¬decision. I wasn’t sleeping because of it,” Paloma was reported as having said, “so Ricky and I agreed ¬beforehand that he would take Kevin.” She also revealed: “I sent Kevin an email afterwards to tell him I thought he could win the whole competition and to explain that I knew he’d be saved.”

As one of only two performers to have made all four judges turn their chairs around, Simm was a surprise choice for elimination before Wilson stepped in to grant him a reprieve and bring him onto his team.

More: Paloma Faith flees ‘The Voice’ stage after Boy George lays into her

“Kevin’s one of only two acts this series to get four of us turning,” Paloma continued, “whereas only two of us had turned for Faith [Nelson]. But I was really sure about her. So I had to make sure they both stayed. It would have been 100% ridiculous to get rid of someone that talented.”

However, the public reacted to this admission as evidence that the BBC show, moving to ITV as of next year, was a fix. The BBC therefore responded on Monday morning, telling the Metro that this was not the case and that Paloma had simply been “misquoted”.

“The conversation between Ricky and Paloma before that battle record was her asking Ricky to steal Kevin if she didn’t choose him,” a spokesperson for ‘The Voice’ clarified. “He did not agree or disagree.”

More: ‘The Voice’ contestant wows with incredible 13 stone weight loss story