Sir Tom Jones’ Emotional Final Night On The Voice UK Ends With A Remarkable Victory For Welsh Singer Losing Her Sight

Sir Tom Jones had one last moment in the red chair, and it ended with a victory that made his departure from The Voice UK even more poignant. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, the legendary Welsh singer watched his chosen contestant, 31-year-old Cate McHugh, take the crown after an extraordinary journey from busking on the streets of Cardiff to winning the competition.

But there was something particularly fitting about the way the night unfolded. Before the result was announced, Tom and Cate stood together to perform John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads – a song about the pull of home, sung by two people who share the same corner of Wales.

For Tom, it marked the end of an era that had begun when The Voice UK first launched in 2012. For Cate, it was the culmination of years of determination despite a condition that has been steadily taking away her sight.

Tom Jones Makes His Feelings Clear After ITV Decides To End His Full-Time Role

Tom Jones’ departure was far from a retirement he had chosen for himself.

On September 8, 2026, while the latest series was already underway, the 86-year-old took to Instagram and X to reveal that ITV had decided some time earlier that he would no longer be a full-time coach. He said he had only recently been informed of the decision and made no secret of his disappointment.

According to Tom, the explanation he had been given involved financial difficulties surrounding insurance. He also revealed that he had been offered a reduced role instead of retaining his regular place on the coaching panel.

His response was particularly pointed. Refusing to suggest that age had made him less capable, he described himself as:

“an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job”

ITV did not publicly confirm Tom’s account of the insurance issue. The broadcaster said it had loved working with him and confirmed that he would not return as a full-time coach for the next series, although discussions about possible future involvement were still taking place. In a separate statement, the network described him as irreplaceable.

His contribution to the programme has been considerable. Tom coached on 13 of its 14 series, missing only the fifth season in 2016 after the BBC dropped him. He returned when the competition moved to ITV in 2017 and remained a central figure for almost another decade.

From Busking Outside A Cardiff Bank To A Life-Changing Opportunity

Long before the television cameras found her, Cate McHugh was already determined to make music her career.

At just 16, she began performing on the streets of Cardiff, often setting up with her guitar outside the NatWest bank on Queen Street. She later told interviewers that she had always believed singing was what she was meant to do.

Then, in her early twenties, she received devastating news: she had Stargardt disease, a degenerative retinal condition that progressively destroys central vision.

Her eyesight deteriorated over time. Today, she describes her vision as blurred patches, with only her peripheral sight remaining intact.

The condition presented another obstacle in an already difficult career path, but Cate refused to give up. After the Covid years, she returned to focusing on her singing and continued performing.

She was busking in Cardiff Bay when she spotted an opportunity that could change everything. The Voice UK was searching for new contestants, and she decided to apply on impulse.

That spontaneous decision would take her much further than she could have imagined.

She Couldn’t See Tom Jones Turn His Chair – Until He Spoke

For her blind audition, Cate chose Die With A Smile, the duet made famous by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.

Only one coach turned around.

It was Tom Jones.

There was an unusual twist to the moment: Cate couldn’t actually see his chair turn. She later explained that the chairs in the studio make no sound when they rotate. Contestants can only detect the change through the lighting.

She sensed that something had happened but had no idea which coach had chosen her. It was only when she heard the familiar voice speaking to her that she discovered she had been selected by one of Wales’ most celebrated singers.

Tom greeted her with a memorable line:

“If you’re short-sighted, you’re not short-voiced.”

Being chosen by another Welsh singer made the experience even more meaningful for Cate.

Her journey continued through the competition. In the Battle Rounds, she faced country duo Eric and Jensen, performing Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell. She survived the challenge, progressed through the semi-final and ultimately secured her place among the final four.

And when fans wondered whether Tom was as warm and approachable behind the scenes as he appeared on television, Cate had a simple answer.

“He is just like, Welsh granddad vibes, he’s lovely.”

Four Finalists, One Last Duet And A Winning Performance

Cate faced three other contestants in the final:

• Monique Nicholson-Porter, representing Team Kelly Rowland.
• Naná Aldrin-Quaye, from Team will.i.am.
• Frank Raven, coached by McFly members Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.

For her solo performance, Cate selected Blackbird by The Beatles, delivering a song choice that carried its own emotional weight.

But the evening’s most fitting moment came when she was joined by Tom Jones for Take Me Home, Country Roads.

Released by John Denver in 1971, the song celebrates the longing for home. With both performers coming from South Wales, the duet carried a personal connection that went beyond simply sharing the stage.

Local radio reports from Cate’s area said the performance brought the room to its feet.

Then came the announcement that would complete her remarkable journey.

Unlike some television singing competitions, the winner was not decided through a public vote from viewers watching at home. Instead, the studio audience attending the filming selected the champion – a format that attracted some criticism online.

Their choice was Cate McHugh.

Her victory came with a £50,000 cash prize, a recording contract with Universal Music Group and a trip to Universal Orlando in Florida.

For a singer who had spent years performing on the streets while adapting to a progressively worsening eye condition, the rewards represented a major breakthrough.

The Powerful Connection To Tom Jones’ Own Musical History

The choice of Take Me Home, Country Roads also brought an interesting piece of Tom Jones’ musical history into the spotlight.

Exactly 60 years earlier, in late 1966, he had enjoyed one of the biggest successes of his career with Green, Green Grass of Home.

Written by Nashville songwriter Curly Putman, the song was first recorded by Johnny Darrell in 1965. Porter Wagoner also scored a country hit with it that same year.

Tom discovered the song through Jerry Lee Lewis’ version before recording his own interpretation.

The result was a major chart success. His recording reached No. 1 in the UK on December 3, 1966, remained there for seven consecutive weeks and went on to become that year’s Christmas No. 1. Across the Atlantic, it climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Like Take Me Home, Country Roads, the song carries a powerful theme of returning home, at least in the mind.

Six decades after his own defining country hit, Tom found himself singing another song about home – this time alongside a young Welsh performer whose career he had helped transform.

A Fourth Voice UK Champion – And A Fitting Final Chapter

Cate’s triumph also added another achievement to Tom Jones’ impressive record as a coach.

She became the fourth contestant he has guided to victory on The Voice UK.

His previous winners were:

• Leanne Mitchell – 2012, the show’s inaugural series.
• Ruti Olajugbagbe – 2018.
• Anthonia Edwards – 2022.
• Cate McHugh – 2026.

Tom’s first victory came during the programme’s very first year. His fourth arrived on what would be his final night as a regular coach.

It was an ending neither he nor the audience could have planned quite this way: an 86-year-old music legend facing the end of his full-time television role, and a 31-year-old singer who had spent years busking while gradually losing her central vision finally reaching the top.

One last red chair. One final duet. And one more winner for Sir Tom Jones.