I never liked talent shows': Will.i.am makes bizarre confession on The Voice as he's accused of being rude for tweeting on air

There are certain things that are expected of a judge on a major television talent show.
One imagines that actually liking the kind of entertainment being provided would be a high priority.
However The Voice judge Will.i.am raised eyebrows during tonight's elimination show when he admitted 'I never really liked talent shows' - as well as tweeting during the crucial eviction hour.

He qualified the remark by adding that The Voice was 'different', but didn't explain in any detail how.
Perhaps realising the gravity of what he said, he quickly got back on topic, turning his attention to the two acts whose fates were in his hands.

Will continued: 'This is like the hardest thing, right, because both of you guys are amazing talents.'
'Sophie, you're special. You've learned so much in two months, in two months. It took me freakin' 10 years to learn what you learned in two months. But somebody has to go home.'
It would appear that Will.i.am is keen to come across as having a more 'organic' approach than the other judges.
He said at the beginning of the show that he had no idea who he might potentially send home, as he preferred to keep an open mind.
'I like to experience the performances as the audience does,' he said.
And despite the gravity of the life-changing decision for his contestants - and an audience of nearly ten million - you’d expect Will to be paying a little attention.

But, clearly, the lure of his BlackBerry was too great.
So while the BBC1 show’s other judges discussed contestant Jaz Ellington’s performance, Will busied himself on Twitter.
Viewers criticised him after he was filmed several times on his mobile, with one user saying: ‘It looks like your bored.’
Another added: ‘Using your phone during Jaz came across as incredibly rude!’
But he tweeted: ‘If you saw me on my phone I wasn't being rude... I was connecting to people watching.
'tv, phone, laptop, & tablet.. its a new day...if I dont tweet during live tv Im not connecting to people watching in the new way #thevoiceuk.'
Show sources said bosses may now tell him to stop using his phone on air.
Tom Jones' first reject, 20-year-old Sam Buttery, defended Will adding: ‘He should be able to use his phone. It’s an interactive show and it should be about involving the public.’