Singer Richard Marx has said the backlash over Sir Tom Jones being dropped from The Voice UK is "pretty significant" and the decision was "handled badly".
The music icon, 86, was axed by the ITV talent show after 13 years as part of a major shake-up. Bosses had hoped to offer Sir Tom a role on the show, but in a "different capacity". Although he is currently appearing on series 14, next year will be very different. Long-standing coach will.i.am will be joined by returning coach Kelly Rowland, as well as newcomers Cheryl Tweedy and rapper Aitch.
Coach's reaction to the decision
Sources have since said that Sir Tom has ruled out returning to the show next year. He previously said that while he didn't want to leave the show, ITV had made the decision "a while ago."
Speaking to the Mirror, Sir Tom's pal and The Voice Australia coach, Richard Marx, said: "The way that went down, and I don't know the behind-the-scenes details, but I know Tom a little bit, and he's such a class act, and I think however they handled it, they handled it badly, it seems. And the backlash, the public backlash, has been pretty significant."
Friendship and admiration
Richard went on to add: "I haven't seen him in a while, but I actually spent some time in the studio with him years ago, and I grew up idolising him. When I was a little kid, it was Tom and Elvis; they were my guys."
"Years later, his son, who manages him, reached out to me, and we went into the studio together, Tom and I, and nothing ever really came of what we did in the studio, but he and I hit it off and got to spend some time together. He's just such a lovely guy. I absolutely love Tom."
Richard went on to say that despite Sir Tom's health struggles, his pal is "remarkable". He said: "I just saw a clip on TikTok yesterday from a gig like a week ago, and he came out, and you could tell he was like, 'Ugh, my hips hurt!' or whatever, you know, like, but then he sits down, and his voice is the same! It's unbelievable, he's 86. Holy s*8t!"
Setlist challenges and live shows
After a career spanning decades and 14 albums, Richard also disclosed that trying to pick a setlist for his recent shows at the London Palladium had been "tricky". "Especially in America," he laughed, adding: "But in such an incredibly wonderful way. Which is why sometimes, I don't play all the singles. I've done a few gigs here, where I didn't do anything but hits."
"But when I was putting that setlist together, I thought 'Man, I am the luckiest guy in the world to be able to have a setlist like that.' I know that first of all, I cater to the people who've supported me all these years, and I know that they want to hear the hits. I get it, because I'm the same way when I go see um when I go see a band play, if they don't do most of the material that I know and love, I'm going to be a little bummed out."
His shows, he says, are a journey for fans to kick back and relax, listening to their favourite hits live, while also being introduced to new material. He's also a fan of Niall Horan, explaining: "I've never seen Niall, but I'm a fan of his. If you're the kind of performer I am, who talks to the audience a lot, once you build a rapport with that particular audience, they're in."
