The Voice: Five Things We Can Expect From Season 3

'The Voice' US is back tonight (September 10th 2012) for their third season and is set to be the strongest series yet with several new alterations to the show. Here are five things you can expect from the upcoming show this fall.

Firstly, rather than coming up against rival singing contest 'American Idol' again, Simon Cowell's 'The X Factor' will be the one for 'The Voice' to beat in ratings this year and it's not going to be easy. Cowell's show managed to average 12.59 million viewers in its first season last year while 'The Voice' was some way off with season 2 in spring averaging 11.93 million. It really looks as though there will have to be some extra scrutinising in discovering a breakthrough talent this year.

Secondly, the rules have also altered slightly this season. While coaches Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will all select 16 contestants for their team again during the blind auditions, when they are forced to halve their line-up in the battle rounds, coaches will now have the opportunity to select new players from their fellow coaches' rejected contestants.

And that's not the only twist in the show! A new round called the 'knock-out' round will also be added prior to the live show rounds. This is where each contestant will perform their chosen song while the next one up is seated on a stool in the centre of a boxing ring while they wait for their turn. If that won't up the pressure on the competitors this year, we don't know what will!

Additionally, that round will force the coaches to reduce their group down to just five who will go on to do compete in the live shows which will air at the end of October 2012 on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Finally, you can expect to see some new faces on the show in the form of MARY J. BLIGE, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, Michael Buble and Rob Thomas from Matchbox Twenty who will also act as mentors on the show as well.