Tom Jones has been one of the four coaches on The Voice UK since the show began in 2012 and now he says he has been “fired.”
The 86-year-old singer, best known for his song “It’s Not Unusual,” has served as a coach on 13 out of the 14 seasons produced so far. In a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday (September 8), he says he will not be back for season 15 and his departure is not by choice.
A new coaches lineup has not yet been announced, but Tom claims the network wants a “refresh.”
Tom Jones’ statement
“To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made the decision — obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently,” Tom wrote in his statement.
Tom continued, “The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. They now say in the press they want to ‘refresh’ the show, and with a new coaching line-up there wouldn’t be a chair for me. 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,” he concluded.
The Voice UK rep speaks out
A rep for the show told People, “We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK. Whilst he will no longer be a full-time coach on series 15, we continue to talk to Sir Tom and his team about his involvement in the next series.”
ITV began airing The Voice UK in season 6 after BBC decided to drop the show.
Cheryl Cole is rumored to be replacing Tom on the show, according to The Sun.
Posted To:Television The Voice Tom Jones