Sir Tom Jones has spoken out about Olly Murs' emotional departure from The Voice UK after the singer was unexpectedly dropped from the ITV coaching line-up. Tom, who remains a coach on the latest series of the singing competition, previously admitted that Olly's exit had affected him as the pair had spent years working alongside one another on the show.
Olly Murs' Abrupt Exit
Olly joined The Voice UK in 2018 and quickly became one of the programme's most recognisable coaches, sharing the panel with Tom and will.i.am. But after six years in the famous red chair, his time on the show came to an abrupt end.
Olly revealed in September 2023 that he had received a call telling him he would not be returning for the following series. At the time, he made no attempt to disguise his disappointment, admitting he was "gutted" and that the news had come as a shock. He was particularly keen to make clear that leaving had not been his decision. Instead, Olly said he had been told that he would not be back, despite wanting to continue on the programme.
Tom Jones' Honest Response
Speaking about the situation, Tom was asked about his former co-star and gave a short but telling response, admitting that Olly's departure had "really bothered him". The pair had developed a close friendship during their years together on the show, regularly sharing jokes and competing against each other to secure the best singers for their teams.
At the time, 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."
Olly's Success and Replacement
Olly had also enjoyed considerable success during his time as a coach. He won The Voice UK twice, first with Molly Hocking in 2019 before securing another victory with Blessing Annatoria Chitapa the following year.
His departure was part of a wider shake-up of the coaching panel, with ITV later announcing that McFly stars Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones would replace Olly and share a brand-new double chair. Olly later reflected on his exit and admitted that, despite being upset, he was trying to look towards the next chapter of his career. But his comments at the time made it clear that he had not willingly 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."
Current Series
Now Tom remains at the heart of 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 joined as the newest coach. The current series returned to ITV this month, with the coaches once again searching for Britain's next big singing star. The Voice UK airs Saturday nights from 7pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
