Sir Tom Jones has broken his silence over his shock departure from The Voice, insisting he never wanted to leave the ITV singing show and claiming the broadcaster effectively ‘fired’ him because of financial difficulties surrounding insurance.
The 86-year-old music legend had been expected to remain part of the coaching panel after 13 years on the programme. But amid a major shake-up of the show, Tom revealed that the decision to remove him was made by ITV and that he was only informed recently.
Taking to Instagram and Facebook, the Welsh star made his position crystal clear.
‘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,’ he wrote.
Tom went on to claim that the reason he was given was ‘because of a financial difficulty with insurance’.
His comments came after reports suggested ITV simply wanted to ‘refresh’ the coaching line-up ahead of the 2027 series. According to Tom, however, the explanation being given publicly was rather different from what he had been told privately.
‘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 added.
The singer also revealed that ITV had offered him a significantly reduced role, which would have seen him make an appearance without being involved in the competition from the beginning.
‘They offered me 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,’ Tom said.
He then delivered a particularly pointed assessment of the situation, writing: ‘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.’
The dramatic statement comes as The Voice prepares for another major overhaul. The current coaching panel features Tom alongside Kelly Rowland, will.i.am and McFly duo Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, although Fletcher and Jones have already announced their departures.
Producers are reportedly in last-minute discussions with former X Factor judge Cheryl and rapper Aitch ahead of filming for the 2027 series in Manchester on September 11.
Kelly Rowland is also reportedly being lined up to stay, while will.i.am could continue after appearing on the programme since its debut. With four red chairs already potentially accounted for, Tom’s place on the panel would disappear.
There is a striking sense of déjà vu for the veteran star. Tom was previously dropped from The Voice in 2015, when the programme was still on the BBC, after being appointed as a coach in 2012.
At the time, he criticised the broadcaster’s handling of his exit, claiming there had been ‘no consultation or conversation of any kind’.
He later described the decision as ‘this substandard behaviour from the executives’ and admitted he had been furious about the way he was treated.
‘I was p**d off. I never got to the bottom of who made the decision,’ Tom told Radio Times, adding: ‘Well of course, that’s a kick in the b****s.’
The singer even recalled taking some satisfaction from the show’s subsequent ratings decline.
When The Voice moved from the BBC to ITV in 2017, Tom was brought back to the coaching panel. He has since become one of the defining faces of the programme.
Despite his claims, ITV had initially pushed back against reports that his departure was final, with a show insider previously telling the Daily Mail: ‘ITV absolutely loves working with Sir Tom. They are in talks with him and are hopeful he will return to the series.’
But Tom’s latest statement appears to leave little doubt about how he feels about the situation.
The Voice currently attracts around two million viewers a week and has produced a number of successful artists, including Becky Hill.
With filming for the next series imminent and a new coaching line-up taking shape, Tom Jones now appears to be facing another unexpected farewell from the show he insists he never wanted to leave.
