Tom Jones Says ITV Removed Him From 'The Voice UK' Over Insurance Costs
Photo Credit: ITV
Sir Tom Jones says ITV has effectively fired him from The Voice UK after 13 years as a coach, despite his wish to remain on the programme. Jones said the broadcaster told him that insurance-related financial difficulties were among the reasons for ending his full-time role, while ITV confirmed that he would not return as a full-time coach for the next series.
Jones Says Departure Was Not His Choice
In a statement published on social media on September 8, Jones said he had not wanted to leave the programme and continued to value both the show and its audience.
“To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience,” Jones wrote.
Jones said ITV had made the decision earlier but had only informed him recently.
According to Jones, the initial reason given to him was “a financial difficulty with insurance.”
Jones also said that ITV had subsequently referred publicly to a desire to refresh the programme with a new coaching line-up.
The singer said ITV had offered him a substantially reduced position in which he would appear on the show without participating as a coach from the beginning.
“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,” Jones said.
Jones concluded his statement by writing: “There’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.”
ITV Confirms Change While Leaving Door Open
ITV confirmed that Jones would not be a full-time coach on series 15, but its statement stopped short of describing the decision as a permanent separation.
“We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK,” an ITV spokesperson said.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
ITV did not publicly confirm the precise insurance issue described by Jones in the statements reviewed for this article.
Reports have described ITV’s plans as a broader refresh of the coaching panel, but the broadcaster had not announced a complete replacement line-up in the available statements.
The Sun reported that Jones would not have his own chair or team of contestants in the next series, while Radio Times reported that ITV was considering another way to keep him associated with the programme.
The identity of any replacement coach, and whether Jones will accept a reduced role, remained unconfirmed as of September 9.
A Long Association With The Voice UK
Jones joined The Voice UK when the programme launched in 2012 and has been a recurring member of its coaching panel across its BBC and ITV eras.
He missed one series in 2016 before returning the following year, according to Radio Times.
The current fourteenth series began broadcasting on August 22, with Jones appearing alongside will.i.am, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones and Kelly Rowland on the coaching panel.
The programme is scheduled to continue on ITV1 and ITVX during September.
The news of Jones’s planned change comes while the current series is still airing, meaning his final appearances as a full-time coach have not yet concluded.
Jones also featured in a recent episode performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Tower of Song,” which was reported to have prompted an emotional response from fellow coaches and the studio audience.
What Happens Next
For now, ITV’s position is that Jones will not serve as a full-time coach on series 15, while talks about a possible alternative appearance remain open.
Jones’s statement makes clear that he regards the proposed arrangement as materially different from his established role, which included a dedicated chair and responsibility for a team of contestants.
The disagreement therefore concerns both the end of Jones’s full-time coaching position and the explanation for the change, with Jones emphasizing insurance costs and ITV describing a continuing relationship alongside a new series format.
No final announcement had been made by September 9 on whether Jones would appear in series 15 or who would occupy his coaching position.
Copyright EDGE Media Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
