Sir Tom Jones didn’t hold back when he called the BBC a “cold place” after being dropped from The Voice UK ahead of its fifth series.
The iconic singer, who was one of the original coaches alongside will.i.am, Jessie J, and Danny O’Donoghue, was abruptly removed after four seasons.
Sir Tom revealed that he believed the show would continue with him and had even heard rumors about Paloma Faith replacing Rita Ora, who was moving to The X Factor on ITV.
However, just one month before filming was set to begin, Tom claims producers informed his agent that he wouldn’t be “invited back,” making room for Boy George to join the judging panel.
The *Delilah* singer expressed his surprise in his 2016 autobiography, Over The Top and Back, stating, “To say I was shocked is to put it mildly”.
It wasn’t the replacement that left him shocked but the way it was handled.
While acknowledging that “nobody has the right to think of themselves as a permanent fixture,” Sir Tom recalled that when his management questioned the decision, BBC executives curtly replied that he was “out of contract.”
Reflecting on the response, he remarked, “Indisputable as a bald statement of fact, I guess. But what a cold place the BBC is. Sometimes you wonder whether it is run by humans or a machine in the basement.”
Now back on The Voice UK, Sir Tom shared his thoughts on the latest auditions, this time airing on ITV. Joining him as coaches are LeAnn Rimes, will.i.am, and newcomers Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher from McFly, as they seek out the next big vocal star.
LeAnn Rimes steps in for Anne-Marie, while Danny and Tom replace Olly Murs, creating a refreshed coaching panel.
Speaking about the changes, Sir Tom remarked, “We have our new coaches, LeAnn, Danny, and Tom, joining myself and Will. It has brought a fresh energy to the show. What amazes me is the brilliant voices that we discover every single year.”
The Welsh music legend added, “This year we have a fresh bunch of singers, and that’s exactly what we are looking for. The Voice is an incredible platform for our homegrown talent to showcase themselves to the world.”
He also praised the diversity of the coaching panel, saying, “The strength in the variety of coaches is that we are all listening for completely different things, which makes it interesting.”
The Voice UK airs on ITV1 on Saturdays at 8:30 pm.
