Tom Jones is calling out ITV over his departure from The Voice UK judging panel. The 86-year-old singer claimed his exit was linked to “financial difficulty with insurance.” Rumors have since suggested that Cheryl Tweedy, 43, could step in as his replacement.
Tom Jones says ITV decided to remove him from The Voice UK coaching panel and offered him a reduced role
Jones, who has been an on-and-off coach on The Voice since the show debuted in 2012, addressed his exit in a post on X. He wrote, “To be clear, I did not want to leave ‘The Voice’ as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made this decision — obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently. The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance.”
“They now say in the press they wanted to ‘refresh’ the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me,” he continued. The singer further claimed, “They are offering a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that. So the only thing I know right now, is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.”
Jones’s remarks come after a show insider told the Press Association, as stated by The Independent, “ITV absolutely loves working with Sir Tom. They are in talks with him and are hopeful he will return to the series.” Over the years, Jones has coached alongside several major music stars. His former fellow coaches have included Jessie J, Olly Murs, Kylie Minogue, and Rita Ora. The award-winning musician is currently appearing on Season 14 of The Voice UK. The latest season premiered on August 22. Jones shares the coaching panel with US rapper will.i.am, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Kelly Rowland.
