Sir Tom Jones has said ITV has dropped him as a full-time coach on The Voice UK after 14 years, insisting that he did not choose to leave the programme.
The 86-year-old singer, who has been part of the show since it launched in 2012, issued a public statement after reports emerged that he would no longer have his own chair or team in the next series.
Jones said he had only recently been told of ITV's decision and made clear that he wanted to remain on the programme.
Jones says he did not want to leave
In his statement, Jones said he loved The Voice and appreciated its audience, adding that the decision had been made by ITV rather than by him.
He said the explanation given to him involved what he described as a financial difficulty relating to insurance.
Jones also referred to reports that ITV wanted to refresh the programme with a new coaching line-up, saying he had been offered a much-reduced role in which he could make appearances without being involved from the beginning or having his own team.
He indicated that he was unhappy with that proposal and described the situation as being fired from a job he still believed he could do well.
ITV had previously said it hoped he would return
Earlier on Tuesday, before Jones issued his statement, ITV sources said the broadcaster remained in talks with the singer and was hopeful he would return to the programme.
ITV has not yet published a formal announcement confirming the full coaching line-up for the next series.
That means the clearest account of Jones's current position comes from the singer himself, who says he will not continue as a full-time coach under the arrangements he has held for most of the show's run.
A fixture of The Voice since 2012
Jones has been one of the most recognisable faces of The Voice UK since its launch in 2012.
He was part of the original coaching panel when the programme began on the BBC and remained closely associated with the format after it moved to ITV.
Although he was absent for one period, he later returned and has continued as a regular full-time coach alongside a changing line-up of other music stars.
ITV's current 2026 series features Jones alongside will.i.am, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones of McFly, and Kelly Rowland.
Current series unaffected
The change concerns the next series of The Voice UK and does not affect the episodes currently being broadcast.
ITV's own promotional material for the current series confirms Jones as one of its full-time coaches.
Reports have suggested that the broadcaster is planning a wider refresh of the programme, but until ITV formally announces the next coaching panel, details of any replacements remain unconfirmed.
Jones leaves door open to some involvement
Despite his criticism of the decision, Jones's statement suggests discussions over a smaller role have taken place.
However, he made clear that an occasional appearance without a chair, a team or involvement from the start would be very different from the position he has held on the programme for more than a decade.
For now, the singer's own account is that his time as a full-time coach on The Voice UK is coming to an end after 14 years.
Sources
- ITV Press Centre: The Voice UK returns with a star-studded line-up
- NME: Tom Jones dropped from The Voice UK after 14 years as a judge, 8 September 2026
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