Sir Tom Jones is set to return to The coaching panel as The Voice UK makes its comeback on ITV1 and ITVX at 7pm on Saturday, August 22, alongside will.i.am, McFly's Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, and newcomer Kelly Rowland.
While millions know the 86-year-old for his voice, hits, and stage presence, his private life has been just as eventful—from his lifelong love story with his childhood sweetheart to candid admissions about infidelity, fatherhood, and health problems in later life.
Childhood in Pontypridd
Born Thomas John Woodward in Pontypridd, Tom grew up in a Welsh mining community. His father, Thomas, was a coal miner, while his mother Freda was a housewife. Singing became part of his life from a young age, performing at family gatherings and in chapel.
At 12, he contracted tuberculosis and was confined to bed for around two years. He has spoken about how the experience changed his outlook, and he later reflected that he might otherwise have followed his father into the mines. Instead, music became his escape. He left school as a teenager, worked manual jobs, and performed in local clubs before his breakthrough after moving to London, where he adopted the stage name Tom Jones.
Childhood Sweetheart and Heartbreak
Long before the fame, there was Linda Trenchard. They grew up close in Pontypridd and became sweethearts as teenagers, marrying in 1957 when both were 16, shortly before the birth of their son, Mark. Linda remained his wife throughout his career, including his years as an international sex symbol and extended stays in America.
Tom later described Linda as the great love of his life. She died from cancer in April 2016, ending their nearly six-decade marriage. Tom has spoken movingly about her death, describing it as one of the lowest points of his life and saying he did not know whether he would be able to continue singing. He eventually returned to music, saying performing helped him cope with grief. He has stated he does not plan to marry again.
The 'Hundreds of Affairs' Admission
Tom's reputation as a ladies' man became almost as famous as his music. At the height of his fame, women threw underwear onto the stage, and stories about his relationships were regular press features. Reports have quoted him as saying he slept with hundreds of women during the height of his fame, with one widely repeated figure being as many as 250 groupies in a year.
Among the women linked to him were singer Mary Wilson of The Supremes and former Miss World Marjorie Wallace. Yet despite the affairs, Tom repeatedly insisted he never intended to leave Linda.
One significant episode came in the late 1980s. While touring in the United States in 1987, he had a brief relationship with model Katherine Berkery. She gave birth to a son, Jonathan. A paternity case followed, and a US court ruled Tom was the boy's father after DNA testing. Tom only acknowledged his son for the first time in 2008, revealing he wanted nothing to do with him and claiming he was 'tricked' by Katherine: 'I fell for the seduction.'
Health Battles and Welsh Pride
Despite performing into his eighties, Tom has faced health problems. He had his left hip replaced in 2017. Five years later, he revealed his right hip had deteriorated and doctors advised another replacement, joking he had been trying to fit the operation around his touring schedule. In November 2022, he confirmed the second operation had gone well, telling fans he now had "two new hips" and was undertaking physiotherapy.
In July 2025, Tom postponed a concert in Bremen, Germany, after developing an upper respiratory infection requiring treatment and rest. He subsequently returned to performing, including an appearance at Camp Bestival in Dorset.
Despite living periods in the United States, Tom has never lost his connection with Wales. His official biography notes he spent the first 24 years of his life in Wales, describing his upbringing as giving him important values. That Welsh identity has remained part of his public image throughout a career spanning more than six decades. The Voice UK returns on Saturday 22 August at 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
