Tom Jones has claimed that he has been fired as a coach on The Voice UK due to “financial difficulty with insurance.”
“To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience,” the 86-year-old singer wrote on Instagram. “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.”
He continued, “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. 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.”
It is worth noting that the Press Association (via The Independent) has reported an insider at The Voice UK said the show is still in negotiations with Jones. “ITV absolutely loves working with Sir Tom,” the source said. “They are in talks with him and are hopeful he will return to the series.”
Jones was one of the original coaches of The Voice UK when the singing reality competition launched on BBC in 2012, and has been a constant presence since then. He served in the role from 2012 to 2015 before taking a break and returning to the show — which had since moved to ITV — in 2017.
He is currently a coach in Season 14 alongside will.i.am, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, and Kelly Rowland.
Later this month, Jones will kick off a North American tour . Look for deals and get tickets to sold-out shows here (where fans can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout).
