Kylie fronts MasterCard campaign, pulls an extra 2m viewers for The Voice UK

 As Kylie Minogue drops details of her new single, her profile in the UK has taken another leap as she becomes both the focus of a heavily-promoted push for the Brit Awards – and the new judge of The Voice UK.

Minogue has just been announced as this year’s face of MasterCard’s sponsorship of the BRIT Awards 2014. The awards are held on February 19 at the O2 Arena in London, with Arctic Monkeys and Katy Perry the first acts confirmed to play. The MasterCard campaign is getting a huge push on TV and social media.

The Australian-born singer said: “The BRITs are very close to my heart, so working with MasterCard after their sixteen year support of these iconic awards was an easy decision to make.”

MasterCard customers can apply to see various acts as part of the brand’s ‘Priceless Gigs’. Kylie is among these names, playing a show in England in March where she will preview her latest material.

At the same time, Minogue is being credited by the UK media for the two million extra viewers that tuned into the first episode of BBC’s The Voice UK last Saturday night.

An average of 8.4 million viewers watched the show, compared to the 6.2 million who switched on for the show’s return last year.

Minogue and Kaiser Chief’s Ricky Wilson have this year joined the judging panel alongside Will.i.am and Tom Jones, who both returned for the third time. Will. I Am pushed for Minogue to get involved in the show, and BBC executives flew to America to negotiate with her.

The Voice UK has previously begun each season around Easter. This year the BBC screened it earlier, avoiding a scheduling clash with Simon Cowell’s ITV show Britain’s Got Talent. In 2013, BGT drew 13 million viewers and grabbed 36.9% of the audience share.

Making sure her 2014 is as busy as possible, Minogue is also set to join the panel for the third season of Nine’s The Voice Australia this year alongside Ricky Martin, Joel Madden and new mentor will.I.am.