They’re all smiles in this promo photo. Source: Channel 9

Now obviously there is only one Delta, our Delta, Australia’s magical, mermaid chanteuse. I immediately clicked on the link, even though I knew full well what had happened as I had watched The Voice the night before, and heard the threat made. Damn you news.com.au and your clickable headlines.

Side bar: I don’t know about you but I imagine that Delta lives in a palace in the clouds made from the finest baby teeth money can buy. She rides the grounds atop a white unicorn with a rainbow mane. Topless, hard bodied young men hold pink velvet cloak. Her hair is washed in albino seal milk each evening and combed with twigs sourced from Narnia.

Delta, Australia’s magical mermaid chanteuse. Source: Channel 9

Who was our mermaid queen threatening to harm? What had plunged Delta into the winter of her discontent? Turns out Delta felt she was being sabotaged by her fellow judge Jessie J. Of course she did! Come on dummies! As if two women can work together or God forbid have a disagreement without it turning into a cat fight. REOW! Did someone order kitty a saucer of milk?

FACT: This is the first time The Voice have had two female judges on and HURRAH they are by far the most captivating personalities of the bunch, so why then must the story inevitable become about them hating each other?

Look, I TOTALLY GET that reality TV is mainly about seeking out conflict and milking it until it’s a barren, dry and cracked teat. I understand that it is considered gold to have tension between any of the cast, it’s what the people want damn it.

I. Get. It.

I just question the lengths the makers of the show went to, to depict a war brewing between the two female judges. Here we have two strong, intelligent and talented women and the refreshing* story The Voice have decided to tell is that they’re bitter, snitchy rivals.

Why?

Why are Jessie J and Delta being played off each other? Source: Channel 9

Couldn’t we just have had them disagreeing without the edited in shots of Delta giving Jessie side long sneyes (sneery eyes). The tension between the two dominated much of the show, it seemed to feature more than the actual singing.

The glamorous prerecorded packages of them stalking the catwalk in front of 478 wind machines were narrated like a pre-fight intro.

The costuming also assisted in setting up the sassy battle, Delta was resplendent in head to toe white and Jessie dressed fiercely in black. Even Ricky got in on the action making exaggerated tiger claw hands and silently meowing with his sensuous, full lips.

STOP IT RICKY you sexy jerk!

All four and a half judges (The Madden bros have a conjoined spinning chair so they don’t count as two whole people) argued over who would join their teams, why must the women be singled out and made a spectacled of? Why is it when a woman displays competitiveness towards another woman — a trait which wouldn’t raise an eyebrow were it to be displayed by their male counterparts — is it automatically assumed (perhaps even hoped for) that a hair pulling comp won’t be far behind?

Why not show the thousand of little girls watching that it is OK to be strong and have a different opinion to another women without taking it to bitchy McBitcherson town.

By the way I have no doubt that the two of them were clashing. I’m not disputing that. But the way in which the editing focused on it, the ‘cat fight’ gestures being made and the constant inference that the two of them hate each other really did push the whole ‘women can’t work together’ narrative.

It’s a tired angle, it’s a sh**ty message and both of them deserve far better than that. They have both known the highs and lows of life more acutely than most. Jessie had a stroke when she was 19 and Delta was the same age when she was diagnosed with cancer, both of them overcame those trials to rise from the ashes like the glorious pop phoenixes they are today.

Oh man there is something in my eye ...

They are both wonderful role models for women everywhere, their songs are often about perseverance, acceptance and inner strength. What I am getting at is; they shouldn’t be reduced to this kind of crap.

They were born to try, they learned to love, were understanding and believed in love.

Let’s allow these two to be big, bold and brassy without playing them off each another yes?

P.S. I still love you Ricky, I could NEVER stay mad at you.

How could you stay mad at that beautiful, beautiful face? Source: Channel 9

Em Rusciano is a comedian, writer, singer and regular News.com.au columnist. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.