TOM JONES: ‘There’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job’

Sir Tom Jones says ITV has “fired” him from The Voice, and he did not want to go.

The 86-year-old from Treforest in Pontypridd has coached on the singing show on and off since it launched in 2012.

Following rumours he would not return for the coming series, Sir Tom said on social media that the broadcaster made the decision a while ago but he “was told recently”, and that he loves the show and did not want to leave.

“The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance,” he said.

“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 he had been offered “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.”

The Voice confirmed he will not return as a full-time coach. A spokesperson for the show said: “We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK. 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.”

Three winners and nine years in the red chair

Sir Tom has sat in the spinning chair alongside coaches from Jessie J and Kylie Minogue to Will.i.am, and mentored three winners: Leanne Mitchell in series one, Ruti Olajugbagbe in series seven and Anthonia Edwards in series 11.

The most recent series paired him with McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, Will.i.am and Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Rowland. The 2027 series was due to begin production soon.

Few careers anywhere have run six decades at the top: three UK number one singles, four chart-topping albums, a Grammy, two Brits, an Ivor Novello and a knighthood in 2006.

Wales has never needed a talent show to tell it what Tom Jones is worth. Whether The Voice sounds the same without him is now ITV’s problem.