Sir Tom Jones thanks fans for support as The Voice loses 500,000 viewers and petition passes 57,000 signatures

Sir Tom Jones has broken his silence with a message of thanks to fans after thousands rallied behind him following his departure from The Voice UK.

The 86-year-old singer returned to Instagram on Saturday as the ITV talent show aired his latest episode, sharing an emotional clip of himself performing his classic hit It’s Not Unusual alongside his fellow coaches.

His message came as a petition calling for ITV to reinstate him reportedly passed 57,000 signatures, while the latest episode of The Voice attracted just 1.6 million viewers, around 500,000 fewer than the previous week.

Tom Jones responds to wave of fan support

In the video posted to Instagram, Sir Tom can be seen singing It’s Not Unusual on The Voice UK while fellow coaches will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones cheer him on.

As the performance ends, Kelly walks over to embrace him, while will.i.am leaves his chair to hug his longtime friend.

Sir Tom accompanied the footage with a message acknowledging the support he has received since ITV confirmed that he would not return as a coach.

“It’s Not Unusual… So many heartfelt messages, comments and even petitions of support. It doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s been really lovely to receive these! Thank you!”

Change.org announced in the comments that the petition calling for Sir Tom to be reinstated had reached more than 57,000 signatures, alongside thousands of messages from supporters.

Fans continued to fill the post with messages of support, while Kelly Rowland and Spice Girl Mel C were among those who liked it.

The Voice loses half a million viewers

The show is currently airing Sir Tom’s final series, even as production gets under way on the next season without him.

The latest episode was moved to an earlier Saturday evening slot to avoid a clash with the launch of Strictly Come Dancing on BBC.

Despite the scheduling change, viewing figures fell to 1.6 million, down by around half a million from the previous week.

The ratings came at a difficult moment for the programme, with attention focused heavily on ITV’s decision to overhaul the coaching lineup for the 2027 series.

ITV has confirmed that Sir Tom will not return as a full-time coach, while Cheryl and Aitch are joining the panel alongside will.i.am and Kelly Rowland. The broadcaster has said Series 15 will air in 2027.

Sir Tom says he did not choose to leave

The decision has been particularly contentious because Sir Tom has repeatedly said that leaving The Voice was not his choice.

In a statement posted on Instagram on September 8, three days before ITV officially unveiled the new lineup, he said he loved the programme and appreciated its audience.

Sir Tom said ITV had made the decision some time earlier but had only told him recently.

He said the reason initially given to him was a financial difficulty involving insurance. He also said ITV had subsequently described the change publicly as a decision to “refresh” the programme with a new coaching lineup.

According to Sir Tom, ITV offered him a reduced role that would have involved making an appearance without being part of the show from the beginning.

He made clear that he was unhappy with that proposal.

Sir Tom concluded his statement by saying:

“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.”

ITV thanks Sir Tom for nine years on the show

ITV responded by thanking Sir Tom for his contribution to The Voice UK, where he had been a coach for nine years.

The broadcaster described him as “irreplaceable” and praised the memorable moments he had brought to the programme.

ITV said:

“ITV would like to thank the irreplaceable Sir Tom Jones for all his years on The Voice UK, and the countless incredible and unforgettable moments he gave the show.”

The broadcaster added that he had brought joy to audiences as well as to the singers who performed for him and alongside him.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, an ITV spokesman said the broadcaster had “loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK.”

The spokesman confirmed that Sir Tom would no longer be a full-time coach for series 15, while adding that ITV remained in discussions with him and his team about possible involvement in the next series.

ITV’s official announcement of the new lineup similarly thanked Sir Tom for his years on the programme and the moments he had shared with contestants and fellow coaches.

will.i.am reportedly unhappy with Sir Tom’s departure

The changes have reportedly created an uncomfortable atmosphere behind the scenes.

Fellow coach will.i.am, who is staying on the programme alongside Kelly Rowland, has reportedly made his displeasure over Sir Tom’s departure known.

Sources cited in the report claimed that the usual atmosphere surrounding the start of filming has been affected by the controversy.

The new series features Cheryl and Aitch as additions to the coaching panel, but reports have suggested that excitement over their arrival has been overshadowed by the dispute surrounding Sir Tom’s exit.

One source claimed that will.i.am was angry about the way producers had handled the situation and had expressed his feelings behind the scenes.

The same source described the situation as uncomfortable for Cheryl, who is close to will.i.am and has long admired Kelly Rowland.

The source also claimed that Cheryl was being placed in an awkward position by taking Sir Tom’s former seat, despite having no involvement in the decision to remove him.

The Daily Mail said it contacted will.i.am and ITV representatives for comment.

A new era for The Voice UK

ITV’s announcement on September 11 confirmed a substantially refreshed lineup for Series 15.

Cheryl and Aitch will make their debuts as coaches, joining returning coaches Kelly Rowland and will.i.am. The broadcaster has also confirmed Alesha Dixon and Stacey Solomon as the new hosts for the 2027 series.

For the current series, however, viewers are still seeing Sir Tom in the red chair, giving the latest episodes an added sense of finality following the announcement of his departure.

That was particularly evident during Saturday night’s broadcast, when the veteran singer performed It’s Not Unusual to the delight of his fellow coaches.

The performance also provided the backdrop for Sir Tom’s first social media message since his angry statement about leaving the programme.

His brief post made clear that the response from viewers has not gone unnoticed.

With the petition continuing to attract signatures and fans publicly calling for his return, the controversy surrounding Sir Tom Jones’ departure remains closely tied to the show’s transition into its next era.