Tom Jones, beloved Welsh crooner and longtime coach on “The Voice UK,” says he has been fired from the reality singing competition series.
“I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience,” Jones said in a statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday. The “It’s Not Unusual” singer has been a member of the coaching panel on the British incarnation of “The Voice” since it launched in 2012, though he was previously benched for the show’s fifth season. (He said he was blindsided back then, too.)
According to Jones, he was “told just recently” about ITV’s decision to not have him back as a coach for the show’s next season and that the “reason given [was] because of a financial difficulty with insurance.”
“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 said. “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.”
In a widely reported statement, ITV confirmed Jones was not returning as a coach.
“We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK,” the statement read. “While 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.”
Jones is among the coaches for “The Voice UK” Season 14, which is currently airing. The other coaches are will.i.am, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones (of the band McFly) and Kelly Rowland. ITV has not yet announced the coaches for the upcoming 15th season.
During his tenure on “The Voice UK,” the “What’s New Pussycat?” singer has mentored three performers who went on to win their season.
“[T]he 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,” Jones said.
