There aren’t many reasons to watch The Voice UK these days. Singing competitions have generally gone the way of the dodo, there are far too many sob stories, and all the “moments” are overly engineered and contrived to go viral on social media. But in the 14 years that the series has been on TV, there’s been one constant shining light, an unwavering reason to tune in every Saturday night: Sir Tom Jones.
When it was announced that the legendary Welsh crooner was to be one of the judges – or, rather, “coaches”, as The Voice likes to euphemistically call them – it was a coup. He is a musical legend in the truest sense of the word, has seen the music industry change over decades in the biz, has worked with Aretha Franklin, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, and Ray Charles. Singers should be clambering over themselves to join his team and learn from his unmatched experience – and they did.
But fast forward to 2026, and Jones has been “dropped” from the show. ITV confirmed that he wouldn’t be returning to The Voice UK in a statement that read: “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.” But it appears that the decision isn’t a mutual one.
