Sir Tom Jones is bidding farewell to the judging panel of The Voice UK after thirteen seasons — and not by his own choice. The Welsh singer announced it himself on X after British media reported a reshuffle of the judging panel. He had sat in the chair since the very first season in 2012 and, with a short break during the fifth season, was the only constant of the entire format. Far Out Magazine ↗
"To be clear, I didn't want to leave, because I love the show and I really appreciate the viewers. This decision was made by ITV — apparently a while ago already, and I was only told recently," Jones wrote. According to him, the reason given was financial problems with insurance, although publicly the broadcaster speaks of refreshing the format. He commented tersely on the offer to stay in a reduced role: "They're offering me a significantly reduced role, where I would appear, but wouldn't be part of things from the start, and I'm not thrilled about that." Rolling Stone Deutschland ↗
The sharpest line came at the end: "All I know now is that there's never a good time to fire an eighty-six-year-old guy who's still pretty good at his job." The panel overhaul, however, is broader than just his one seat. According to British media, singer Cheryl and rapper Aitch will join, with Cheryl taking over precisely the seat vacated by Jones, and Aitch replacing the duo Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher from McFly, who are also leaving. Will.i.am and Kelly Rowland are staying on. American Songwriter ↗
The matter may not be closed, though. ITV has not issued an official statement, but a source from the show told the Press Association that the broadcaster is still negotiating with the singer and hopes for his return for the upcoming season. The "significantly reduced role" Jones speaks of is said, according to British media, to be the position of supermentor — that is, a guest who joins the competition only in its later stage. Filming for the fifteenth season is set to begin in Manchester and is expected to air next year. BBC News ↗
Former panel colleagues wasted no time publicly standing up for him. Olly Murs, who sat beside him for several seasons, wrote: "Love ya TJ. I know how much that show meant to you, mate. Absolute legend and one of the best to ever sit in that chair." Will.i.am, who went through every single season with him, replied to his post with roughly a hundred crying emojis. Rolling Stone Deutschland ↗
For the generation that knows Jones primarily from the television judging panel, a reminder of his own discography is probably in order: the voice made famous in 1965 by It's Not Unusual has sustained six uninterrupted decades of career, from Green Green Grass of Home through Delilah to the late hit Sex Bomb. On SuperMusic.cz, Sex Bomb and Green Green Grass of Home are among his most searched-for songs with chords.
Illustrative photo: Sir Tom Jones at a concert. Photo: Raph_PH / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Tom Jones fired from The Voice UK after thirteen seasons
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