“I Did Not Want to Leave”: 86-Year-Old Music Legend Says He Was Fired From ‘The Voice’ After 13 Seasons

Since the show premiered in 2012, The Voice UK has welcomed countless aspiring singers to chase their dreams. At the same time, the famed Tom Jones became a familiar companion of the series. Jones had been part of the series since it first aired, making the producers’ decision to change the lineup and move on without him a shock to fans. Although The Voice UK hoped to keep Jones involved with the show, he recently revealed that ITV “fired” him despite his desire to stay.

Sharing a statement on Instagram, Jones insisted that he loved the show but the network, ITV, made the decision months ago without discussing it with him. “To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made this decision – obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently.”

View this post on Instagram

Offering what he believed to be the reason behind ITV firing him, Jones added, “The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. 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.” 

[RELATED: What Was the Last U.S. Top-40 Hit by Tom Jones?]

‘The Voice UK’ Offered Tom Jones A Different Role

While The Voice UK wanted to go a different route with the coaches, the producers urged Jones to remain part of the production. “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.” 

With Jones turning down what he considered to be a “much reduced” role, he concluded his message with a simple reminder that while his time in the famous red chair might be over, leaving it behind was never his choice. “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.” 

Gaining over 29,000 likes, fans came to the defence of Jones, with one demanding The Voice UK reinstate the singer. “Give Sir Tom his chair back immediately.” 

ITV might be ready to turn the page on Jones, but fans clearly weren’t. After more than a decade in the red chair, many hoped the network would reconsider before the next season started.  

(Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)