Ariana Grande explains reason for 'new voice' after fans spot change

Ariana Grande fans were quick to notice the star platforming a new 'voice' at the Oscars this weekend - but she has actually already addressed the change.

On Sunday, Hollywood flocked to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to see the likes of Emma Stone, Cillian Murphy and Da’Vine Joy Randolph being honoured at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony.

Fans were also treated to Jimmy Kimmel on hosting duties while John Cena, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zendaya were on hand to deliver the statuettes to their rightful recipients.

Oppenheimer star Emily Blunt and Barbie’s Ryan Gosling also appeared on stage to present a tribute montage, but it was Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo that had ITV viewers talking. Check out the clip below:

The ‘Break Free’ hitmaker and her Wicked co-star presented the award for Best Original Song to Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas Baird O’Connell for ‘What Was I Made For?’

However, fans were quick to question 30-year-old Ariana’s presenting voice and many accused the Glinda Upland actor of changing it purposefully.

One Oscars viewer took to social media and wrote: "Wtf happened to Ariana Grande??? I really thought everyone was exaggerating about her constantly changing personas. THE VOICE OMG THAT IS NOT ARIANA GRANDE.”

And a second said: “Someone needs to make Ariana Grande stop speaking in her Glinda voice. It's too soon for another Austin Butler situation.”

Interestingly, the ex-Nickelodeon star has previously addressed the reason behind her voice change and credited it to training ‘every day' for her upcoming role in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked.

Universal Pictures

Appearing on the Zach Sang Show last month, the ‘Yes, and?’ singer said: “I tried to use that to take lessons every single day while I was doing The Voice and get ready for these auditions.

"I trained every day with Nancy [Banks] and with Eric [Vetro] to transform my voice, even, like, my singing voice, everything about me, I had to deconstruct to prove to them I could handle taking on this other person.”

She admitted to the radio host that she had to ‘strip down’ her pop star persona and that she had to go into her Wicked callback with ‘no makeup’ on.

“I looked like I was 11 years old,” she admitted. “It's even harder to believe someone as someone else when you're so branded as one thing."

Ariana’s role as Glinda the Good Witch is her first acting credit since 2021’s Don’t Look Up and will star alongside Cynthia, 37, and Everything, Everywhere, All At Once’s Michelle Yeoh.

The Universal Pictures project is slated for a November 2024 release date with a direct sequel expected to release a year later.