Oscar Winner Jennifer Hudson Signs On as Coach for U.K.'s THE VOICE

Variety reports that Jennifer Hudson has signed on to be a coach on the U.K. version of THE VOICE singing competition. The Oscar winner will be joined by new coach Gavin Rossdale along with returning coaches Tom Jones and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. The series will air on the UK's ITV network.

Hudson said of her upcoming coaching gig, "Discovering new artists has always been important to me and the U.K. has no shortage of talent, so I can only imagine what this experience will be like for everyone involved. I can't wait to get going and start developing each individual's own sound."

The Grammy winner recently made her Broadway debut in the musical THE COLOR PURPLE. This December, she will take on the role of Motormouth Maybelle in NBC's television special "Hairspray Live." She won an Oscar and Golden Globe in 2007 for her iconic performance as Effie White in the hit film "Dreamgirls." Her sensational rendition of the song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was greeted with instant acclaim by film critics and moviegoers alike and made Hudson the person to beat as best supporting actress for the Academy Awards.

Hudson's incredible vocal talents were first recognized with her appearance on the third season of "American Idol" in 2004, where she impressed both the show's judges and a national TV audience. Soon after, she released her first album, "Jennifer Hudson," which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Chart and sold more than 500,000 copies in the U.S. through the first six weeks. The album was nominated for four Grammys and won for best R&B album.

Hudson continued on the bigscreen following "Dreamgirls" and has since co-starred in such films as "Sex and the City," "The Secret Life of Bees" and SPIKE Lee's latest film, "Chi-Raq." Her TV credits include NBC's "Smash," Fox's "Empire" and HBO's newest telepic, "Confirmation."

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