# The Voice of Germany competition developments

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/the-voice-of-germany-competition-developments
> Updated: 2026-11-06T20:36:36.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

During the Battle rounds of The Voice of Germany, contestant Jessica Paulo refused to perform the duet “Ave Maria” due to her Protestant religious beliefs, stating, “I only worship Jesus Christ.” To resolve the impasse, coach Shirin David implemented a new rule allowing the contestants to perform individual solo pieces instead of a joint duet.

In a separate instance during the same round, contestants Vanessa Weiser and Benjamin Bieck were eliminated from the competition. After performing the song “Unter die Haut,” coach Shirin David decided not to advance either performer to the Team Fights, citing a lack of necessary presence.

## Timeline

### 2026-11-06: Vanessa Weiser eliminated from The Voice of Germany

Vanessa Weiser and Benjamin Bieck have been eliminated from The Voice of Germany after their Battle performance of ‘Unter die Haut’ failed to impress judges Shirin David, Sarah Engels, and Rea Garvey.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/vanessa-weiser-eliminated-from-the-voice-of-germany

### 2026-10-23: The Voice of Germany contestant refuses song due to religious beliefs

A contestant on The Voice of Germany refused to sing “Ave Maria” due to Protestant beliefs, leading coach Shirin David to implement a rare rule allowing solo performances instead of a duet.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/the-voice-of-germany-contestant-refuses-song-over-religious-beliefs

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Cite as: The Voice of Germany competition developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/the-voice-of-germany-competition-developments