The Voice UK has confirmed that Cheryl is set to return to the show as she prepares to take over from departing mentor Sir Tom Jones. ITV showcased Cheryl’s debut in a post to The Voice’s Instagram account, sharing a snap of her hugging friend and existing mentor Will.i.am.
‘We have one more week of Blinds to go… But look who’s waiting for Will’s acts at the Battles,’ read the caption to the snap. As indicated, former Girls Aloud star Cheryl will join Will.i.am as a guest mentor during the show’s battle rounds.
Guest Mentor Role and Filming
It has also been reported that she’s been spotted on the set with Will and fellow newcomer Stacey Solomon, filming parts of the upcoming series. Cheryl’s debut comes during a tumultuous time for the ITV competition, which recently revealed that it had axed Sir Tom ahead of series 15.
Any existing drama wasn’t enough to dampen the enthusiasm of Cheryl’s fans though, who shared their excitement on Instagram. ‘Cheryl-mania is coming EARLY’ enthused kaceyrayhauerking, while lukearthurwells commented simply ‘QUEEN CHERYL’ Mynamemolly_ described Cheryl’s appointment as ‘so exciting,’ with sammy.herbert calling her a ‘fantastic addition to the show.’
Fan Reactions and Controversy
However, not everyone was quite so keen, with some still feeling sore about the perceived disrespect to Sir Tom Jones. ‘Nope 🙂↔️ that’s Toms spot!! I won’t be watching,’ said skeenan66, a sentiment echoed by dolores.heneghan, who added: ‘no Tom No Voice.’
It’s worth noting that Cheryl’s stint as guest mentor occurred before the controversy of Sir Tom’s firing, with the battle rounds typically being filmed a few months in advance. The Girls Aloud star has joined the coaching panel for the series alongside rapper and fellow newcomer Aitch.
Coaching Panel Shake-Up
In a shake-up to the cast, they will replace departing coaches Sir Tom Jones, Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher and join returning coaches Kelly Rowland and Will.i.am. Meanwhile, Solomon and Dixon will present the series, replacing Emma Willis, who is one of the trio taking over Strictly Come Dancing hosting duties.
It comes after Sir Tom, 86, claimed he had been ‘fired’ from the programme and that a decision had been made due to a ‘financial difficulty with insurance’. He said he was ‘not thrilled’ about what ITV offered him instead of being a coach, writing: ‘To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience. ITV made this decision – obviously a while ago, and I was just told recently.’
Sir Tom continued: ‘They now say in the press they wanted to “refresh” the show, and with a new coaching line-up, there wouldn’t be a chair for me. They are offering a much-reduced role where I would make an appearance but without being actually involved from the start, and I’m not thrilled about that. So the only thing I know right now is that there’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job.’
ITV Statement and Series 15
It has been reported that, behind the scenes, Will.i.am is ‘fuming’ over how Sir Tom’s exit has been handled by ITV. In a statement, ITV said they would like to thank the ‘irreplaceable Sir Tom Jones’ for his years on The Voice UK and the ‘countless incredible and unforgettable moments he gave the show’.
The judging panel changes will not come into effect until series 15 in 2027, which kicked off filming in Manchester earlier this month. Cheryl had been rumoured to be the famous face taking up Sir Tom’s spare seat on the show, in what will be her primetime TV return, after a long-running stint as a coach on The X Factor.
That is where fellow The Voice newbie Solomon got her start in 2009, before moving into TV presenting with shows like Sort Your Life Out and regular Loose Women appearances. Meanwhile, Dixon has been a fixture on the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel for years now, after rising to fame as a member of the girl band Mis-Teeq.
