Sir Tom Jones has spoken candidly about Olly Murs' emotional exit from The Voice UK after the singer was told he would not be returning to the ITV coaching line-up. Sir Tom, who remains a coach on the current series, previously acknowledged that Olly's departure had hit him hard, given the pair had spent years working side by side on the programme.
Olly Murs' sudden departure
Olly joined The Voice UK in 2018 and swiftly established himself as one of the show's most beloved coaches, sitting alongside Sir Tom and will.i.am on the panel. Yet after six years in the famous red chair, his involvement with the programme came to a sudden end.
Olly revealed in September 2023 that he had received a phone call informing him he would not be returning for the next series. At the time, he made no effort to conceal his dismay, confessing he was "gutted" and that the news had caught him completely off guard. He was particularly eager to make it clear that the decision to leave had not been his own. Rather, Olly disclosed that he had been told he would not be coming back, despite his wish to carry on with the show, reports Wales Online.
Sir Tom's revealing response
When asked about the situation, Sir Tom was questioned about his former colleague and gave a brief yet revealing response, conceding that Olly's exit had "really bothered him". The two had forged a strong bond throughout their years together on the programme, frequently exchanging banter and going head-to-head to attract the finest singers to their respective teams.
At the time, Sir Tom told the Daily Mail: "We've both been on the road, but when it happened we talked quite a bit. He didn't want to leave, he loved doing the show. It really bothered him, he didn't like it. He's married now and has a kid, so his life has changed. But it definitely bothered him."
Success and line-up overhaul
Olly had also enjoyed remarkable success throughout his tenure as a coach. He claimed victory on The Voice UK on two occasions, initially with Molly Hocking in 2019 before triumphing again with Blessing Annatoria Chitapa the following year.
His exit formed part of a broader overhaul of the coaching line-up, with ITV subsequently confirming that McFly stars Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones would step in for Olly and share a brand-new double chair. Olly later spoke openly about his departure and acknowledged that, despite feeling disheartened, he was attempting to focus on the next phase of his career. Yet his comments at the time left little doubt that he had not voluntarily walked away from The Voice.
He told The Sun: "I don't want to sit here like other artists might, and shine and gloss this up and say, 'It was my decision'. I don't want to do that. I don't want to b******* my fans or b****** people who watch the show, and say, 'Oh, it was an amicable decision to leave - I've got lots of things on next year, I can't do it any more."
Sir Tom remains central to the latest series, with the veteran singer returning to his famous red chair alongside will.i.am, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, while Kelly Rowland has come on board as the newest addition to the coaching panel. The current series made its return to ITV this month, with the coaches once again on the hunt for Britain's next great singing talent. The Voice UK airs Saturday nights from 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
