If you were tasked with naming a winner of the ITV singing competition, The Voice, I would put good money on you struggling.
Kevin Simm? Mo Adeniran? Molly Hocking? Craig Eddie? Ava?… No? Me neither.
But if you were challenged to name a judge synonymous with the show’s twirling chairs, I guarantee your first shout would be one of two men: Sir Tom Jones or will.i.am.
And yet, despite this never-ending churn of insipid and unmemorable winning acts, where chart success remains an elusive promise yet to be fulfilled, The Voice has clung to ITV’s autumn schedules like barnacles to a ship’s hull.
Sir Tom Jones with his The Voice co-stars ahead of the debut series in the UK
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But next year, the singing competition will look rather different. Sir Tom will no longer reside in the revolving seat he’s occupied throughout the show’s run on ITV.
“To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience,” Sir Tom penned in a social media statement earlier this week.
“ITV made this decision – obviously a while ago, and I was told just recently.”
Rumours had been swirling in the hours prior to his statement as to the exact reasoning behind the 86-year-old’s departure, but he tried to set the record straight.
Sir Tom Jones will not be returning to The Voice as a judge | ITV “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.
“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.”
If his disdain for the decision-makers at ITV wasn’t clear before, he made sure of it as he signed off his statement.
“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.”
— Tom Jones (@RealSirTomJones) September 8, 2026
Outrage from The Voice fans has been fierce and swift. Some of the remaining viewers it has left have threatened to boycott the new episodes without Sir Tom at the helm.
Long-serving judge will.i.am is reported by The Sun to be “furious” with the decision, while fellow singer Natalie Imbruglia went on the radio this week to tell Chris Evans: “I’m just so sad about it… I don’t understand it.”
Meanwhile, a show spokesperson told GB News: “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.”
Sir Tom Jones has remained while other judges have left the show
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The new occupants of the dizzying chairs have been confirmed as Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Tweedy, 43, and British rapper Aitch, 26.
Cheryl is a big-name signing. That’s irrefutable. Five number ones, experience on the X Factor judging panel, and a yearning from music fans to see her back in the mainstream after a tumultuous few years.
The Voice would mark her first foray into the spotlight since the death of ex Liam Payne in October 2024.
But Aitch? It’s clear this is a desperate attempt by clueless show bosses to be “down with the kids”. I can hear the boardroom conversations now.
Why stick with a legend behind hits like It’s Not Unusual and Sex Bomb when you can have the bloke who produced classic hits like Straight Rhymez and COL4 BODY? Your guess is as good as mine as to what a “COL4 BODY” is.
Rapper Aitch is reportedly in line to replace Sir Tom Jones
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Nothing personal against Aitch, but ITV have already tried to use him as a pull. He was one of the highest-paid stars on last year’s I’m a Celebrity and failed to make the final.
And the BBC suffered greatly when they too unceremoniously tossed Sir Tom to the side when it provided a platform for The Voice in its early years.
Before The Voice moved to ITV, the Beeb produced the show for five series. The fifth went ahead without Sir Tom after Boy George and Paloma Faith stepped in to replace him and Rita Ora. What a refresh that turned out to be.
By the time series six arrived on ITV, the broadcaster appeared to have learned from the BBC’s mistakes, reinstating Sir Tom alongside returning stalwart will.i.am, Gavin Rossdale, and Jennifer Hudson.
Cheryl Tweedy is also tipped to star in the next series of The Voice UK
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Olly Murs, Anne-Marie, Meghan Trainor, LeAnn Rimes, Kylie Minogue, Jessie J, and Danny O’Donoghue. All titans in the music industry that Sir Tom has outlasted as part of the show.
And yet ITV appears to have forgotten the star power Sir Tom holds. An insatiable craving for a 20-something frolicking in a 30-second clip that fits on a 6x4in screen has surpassed the need for actual talent and expertise.
Viewers will abandon the show, but who cares when a TikTok algorithm will reward you with a fleeting injection of dopamine?
Since its move to ITV, The Voice UK has already seen audiences dwindle from the 5-6 million mark to a lowly two million. And without Sir Tom steering the vessel, I fear those Voice-shaped barnacles will be sinking to the depths on the willi.i.am-skippered ship.
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