Music legend Tom Jones, 86, claims he’s been fired by the UK edition of “The Voice,” which he first joined as a celebrity coach when the show launched in 2012, one year after the U.S. version debuted on NBC (both shows are based on the original hit, “The Voice of Holland.”).
In a fiery statement that the 1960s sex symbol posted to social media on September 8, 2026, Jones 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.”
Tom Jones Says He’s ‘Not Thrilled’ About Smaller Role He Was Offered
GettyJones has been a coach on “The Voice” since the first season aired on the BBC in 2012. After five seasons, the show moved to ITV, according to The Independent. The legendary singer, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2006 for his “services to music,” has won three seasons and a 14th season is currently underway. While he won’t be back as a coach in season 15, Will.i.am and Kelly Rowland are expected to return as coaches.
In August, Metro reported that longtime host Emma Willis, who’s now hosting “Strictly Come Dancing” along with “Love Island UK,” will be replaced by a hosting duo of Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon.
Hours before Jones put out his statement, a spokesperson for ITV told the Press Association, “ITV absolutely loves working with Sir Tom. They are in talks with him and are hopeful he will return to the series.”
But Jones, who has a full slate of concert dates in the U.S. and Canada through November 1, wrote in his statement, “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 actually being involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that.”
“So the only thing I know right now,” Jones concluded, “is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.”
Fans Are Up in Arms Over Tom Jones’ Dismissal From ‘The Voice’
Fans flooded Jones’ Instagram post on September 8, clearly upset over his firing, including one who wrote in the comment section, “Excuseeeeee me!!!!! No1 puts my baby in the corner like that!!! Tell me who we fighting and I’ve already got my coat on ready to go 🤬😤😤”
Another alleged, “@thevoiceuk this is completely discriminatory. @realsirtomjones is the voice. The show won’t be the same without him and I’m sure you’ll loose viewers”
“Sir Tom is a living legend and one of the most entertaining coaches on the show,” someone else chimed in. “He brings such warmth, humor, wisdom, and extraordinary talent to every episode. I’m genuinely disappointed that the network would treat someone so special as anything less than a tremendous asset. If Sir Tom isn’t returning, I honestly don’t think I’ll be watching The Voice anymore.”
At the time of publication, ITV had not yet responded to Jones’ statement or the uproar from fans.
