Ex-‘Australian Idol’ Singer and Now ‘The Voice’ Contestant Hayley Jensen: ‘What’s Your Problem, Mark Holden?’

It has been 10 years since Hayley Jensen has exited “Australian Idol” as a fourth placer, but she still can’t forget judge Mark Holden’s apparently cruel criticisms of her. The 31-year-old singer is now a contestant on “The Voice.”

When Jensen joined the now-defunct talent show in its second season, she received a lot of criticisms from Holden that she thought were already bordering on personal attacks.

Even Holden’s fellow judge Marcia Hines must have thought that Holden’s criticisms were too much because she had allegedly asked him at that time, “Who does she remind you of that you hate?”

“I was very inexperienced. Who knows who they are when they’re 21? Anybody that watched it along the way knows I got a lot of criticisms from Mark Holden,” she told news.com.au.

“The other coaches – Marcia and Dicko [Ian Dickson] – were supportive, although Mark Holden’s comments would come across quite harsh.”

She continued, “The rush of adrenalin and emotion at that point in time that you’re feeling from the audience, thinking about [your performance] all week and you’ve practiced, it’s your moment and it seems like you’re on top of the world.

“Within five seconds that could change.”

If she ever gets the chance, Jensen said she’d “love to find out” why he gave her such treatment.

“I’d love to see him, I’d like to say, ‘Oi, what’s your problem buster?’ I have a lot more confidence these days, to ask him for real, rather than feel intimidated.”

Unfortunately for Jensen, Holden refused to answer her question. The Web site asked him for a comment, but he only gave a non-committal response.

“I saw Hayley’s performance on ‘The Voice’ – she looks and sounds fab,” she wrote in an email to news.com.au.

“Will.i.am could give her a massive hit record or form another group around her – persistence pays off big time, congrats to Hayley for hanging in and continuing to believe in herself no matter what anyone else says!

“Good luck Hayley, you are already a winner. Mark.”

Jensen’s performance of “Freefallin’” prompted both will.i.am and Kylie Minogue to turn their seats. She eventually went with Minogue’s team.

She wasn’t exactly idle since leaving “Australian Idol” in 2004, the year when Casey Donovan won. Jensen has released an album, went to perform for the troops in Iraq, formed her own record label, and co-founded a band called Silver Cities (formerly Seasons).

Even though she has had such productive years, Jensen still decided to join “The Voice Australia” in a bid to help her career.

“I saw it as an amazing opportunity to be coached by an amazing superstar on the judging panel, and I guess to get a boost again on my career and reconnect with people who have supported me through the years,” she told Sydney Confidential.

“Hey if I make it through, that’s awesome.”

Jensen on “The Voice”