Over the past three weeks, The Voice Australia some delivered some huge voices during its blind auditions ahead of the Battle Rounds. But alongside the new crop of talent are some returning faces that may already look very familiar to viewers.

Joining the season eight cast is an Australian Idol finalist, an Australia’s Got Talent winner, an X Factor finalist, an iconic children’s entertainer, and a couple of returning The Voice all-stars.

While you may be well acquainted with these performers, they are going to have to work just as hard to win over and impress viewers with their raw talent.

Returning as a semi-established artist on any sort of reality TV show is a bold move to make.

On Sunday night Jack Vidgen made one of the biggest shock returns of the season as the winner of Australia’s Got Talent took to the stage for the first time in five years.

But there was a deep fear of acceptance that was playing on his mind.

“My biggest fear about returning to national tv and singing was that people wouldn’t accept me,” Vidgen tells TMN.

“I have been on such a big personal journey over the last five years and have grown up and formed my own beliefs and opinions, so I was concerned people wouldn’t warm to the new Jack.”

His comeback has been met with a lot tabloid and social media backlash with people taking aim at his appearance and lifestyle, but he admits that he doesn’t even read the tabloids and is just taking it as “water off a duck’s back”.

Sometimes a hiatus is important in an artists career, especially when they are going through massive changes like questioning their identity.

“People have their own opinions and they will continue to and that is fine by me. But I just focus on the people that know me and love me for me”.

TMN’s Top 5 comebacks from season eight:

5. Nathan Folley gets his footloose again

Nathan Folley is a bit of an icon in the Australian entertainment world after being one of the original Hi-5 cast members. But one of the downfalls from being a household name as a children’s entertainer is that there’s a huge stigma surrounding his professionalism as an artist. Would he be able to be taken seriously as a performer? And are people going to be able to separate the two projects? After travelling and working overseas Folley has returned home and is finally ready to introduce himself to the country as a solo artist. Turning only Goodrem’s and George’s chairs with his upbeat guitar rendition of the iconic ‘Footloose’, he decided to go with Team Delta. He’s going to be a huge competitor once he hits the battle rounds as he was a born entertainer and knows how to work the crowd.

4. Chynna Taylor is out of the shallows now

Chynna Taylor not advancing to the semi-final of The X Factor in 2016 felt a bit like a classic Ricki-Lee moment. The infamous elimination on The 2004 series of Australian Idol shocked the country as one of the series powerhouse vocalists went home unexpectedly. This was one of those situations. But after her elimination, Taylor went onto independently releasing her debut EP Dreamers in 2017 followed by a Christmas EP in 2018. She’s returned to the spotlight to fight a little harder and deliver those big vocals over and over again. Her unique take on one of the years most overplayed song ‘Shallow’ by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper created a massive buzz online and saw her choosing to join Team Guy after all judges turned their chairs.

3. Lee Harding is back and KILLING it!

“I think this one is going to be a ballad,” predicted Guy Sebastian as he heard the footsteps cross the stage. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Lee Harding exploded back onto prime time television with a performance of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’. Showcasing his heavier and more punk inserted sound, Harding was instantly welcomed back with open arms as all judges turned their chairs and quickly joined Team Boy George. The now 35-year-old rocker was first introduced to viewers in 2005 on the third season of Australian Idol. After coming third place, Harding went onto having a Gold-certified debut album with What’s Wrong With This Picture as well as having a #1 single with ‘Wasabi’. Harding is going to be one to watch this season as he contains the unique star power that is electrifying.

2. Vendulka Wichita enchants with a big risk

Learning to take a chance, Vendulka Wichita returned with a performance that really could have gone one of two ways. Performing a stripped back folk rendition of ‘Karma Chameleon’ by Culture Club, she wowed viewers and the judges alike with her unique version. At first, Boy George didn’t even notice it was one of his songs because of the original take she took on it but thankfully he turned because she chose to join his team. Her raw talent had people buzzing on social media and has quickly put her on the “hot tips” list for this season. She is a perfect example of why sometimes timing is key because she needed that time to grow as an artist and as a person to come back and wow the way she has. Because in 2012 the foundations were there in her early X Factor performances but she’s come back stronger and more defined.

1. Jack Vidgen says hello, again

This was the ultimate comeback. Jack Vidgen wowed the country in 2011 when he won Australia’s Got Talent and went on to have two successful albums after debuting at 14 years old. He was going through so much change and was being influenced by too many people around him that it all got too much, so he walked away. Returning to the stage as a mature 22-year-old, Vidgen is ready to show the country why he has one of the best voices in the industry. Belting out Adele’s ‘Hello’, he had all four judges swiftly turning their chairs with Sebastian and Goodrem instantly recognising him. The control in his vocal delivery was beautiful and set a great tone to allow him to show off his vocal ad-libs. Choosing to be apart of Team Guy, Vidgen will be one of the seasons biggest contenders. He has a powerful story to share and deserves to be given a platform again to show his growth.