Jones was one of the series’ longest-serving coaches, helping guide contestants from the first 14 seasons, with a single-season break in 2016.

Tom Jones claims he’s been fired from The Voice UK for a surprising reason

Jones was one of the series’ longest-serving coaches, helping guide contestants from the first 14 seasons, with a single-season break in 2016.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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September 8, 2026 5:21 p.m. ET

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Tom Jones on ‘The Voice UK’ in 2019. Credit:

Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage

- Tom Jones says he has been fired from *The Voice UK*.

- The “What’s New Pussycat?” singer has served as a coach on the reality competition series since its first season, only taking a break for season 5.

- In a post shared to his Instagram on Tuesday, the Welsh icon said production company ITV fired him due to “financial difficulty with insurance,” but is telling press a different story.

*The Voice UK** *is going to look decidedly different on the coaches’ panel.

Sir Tom Jones, the Welsh superstar behind “What’s New Pussycat?” and “It’s Not Unusual,” has served as a coach since the series’ inception in 2012, taking only a single-season break in 2016. But according to the Grammy winner himself, he won’t be returning for season 15 — and it wasn’t his decision.

“To be clear, I did not want to leave *The Voice* as l love the show and really appreciate the audience. 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,” Jones wrote in a post shared to his Instagram on Tuesday.

“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,” Jones continued.

In closing, the “She’s a Lady” crooner wrote, “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.”

* *has reached out to representatives for *The Voice UK*, ITV Studios Entertainment, which began producing the series in 2018, and Lifted Entertainment, ITV’s unscripted division.

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“We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on *The Voice UK*. Whilst 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,” a spokesperson for *The Voice UK* told EW’s sister publication, PEOPLE, on Tuesday.

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Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Tom Jones, LeAnn Rimes, and Will.i.am. on ‘The Voice UK’.

Jones’ post was met with shock and dismay by his fans, some of them his famous friends and colleagues. Will.i.am, who has served as a *Voice UK *judge alongside Jones since season 1, commented dozens of crying emojis. English singer Olly Murs wrote, “Love ya TJ, I know how much that show means to you mate. Absolute legend and one of the very best to ever sit in that chair.”

Last season, *The Voice UK*’s stable of esteemed coaches consisted of Jones, Will.i.am., Kelly Rowland, as well as McFly lead singers Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones. *The Sun** *reported on Monday that former *Girls Aloud *singer and *The X Factor** *judge Cheryl will join Rowland and Will.i.am on season 15.

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