Sir Tom Jones has reportedly turned down an offer from ITV to appear as a "super guest judge" on The Voice UK, with reports suggesting he will not be returning to the show in any capacity.
The Welsh singer previously claimed ITV had "fired" him from the programme in a hard-hitting statement, after the broadcaster revealed Aitch and Cheryl would be joining the panel for the next series. Following confirmation that he would not feature on the judging panel, Sir Tom revealed he had been presented with a diminished role but was "not thrilled" about the proposal.
Reported rejection of guest role
It has now emerged that Sir Tom declined the "super guest judge" position he had been offered and will not be making a future cameo appearance. A source told The Sun: "It all got pretty messy and Tom and his team were furious about how things played out. ITV had hoped he would return in some capacity, but it isn't happening."
Following Kelly Rowland's debut as a coach on the programme this year, the insider suggested she is keen to bring bandmate Michelle Williams across for a mini Destiny's Child reunion, reports Wales Online. The insider added: "They are now hoping the big pull, along with the return of Cheryl, will be a mini reunion for Destiny's Child."
Sir Tom's statement on exit
Sir Tom previously shared on social media: "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 told just recently."
"The reason given is because of a financial difficulty with insurance. 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 response and history
An ITV spokesperson previously commented: "We have loved working with Sir Tom Jones over the past nine years on The Voice UK. While he will no longer be a full-time coach on series 15, we continue to talk to Sir Tom and his team about his involvement in the next series."
Sir Tom had previously expressed his passion for The Voice UK, telling The One Show in 2024 that it was "the perfect job". He added: "I like listening to new voices and hopefully I can give some advice."
Sir Tom made his comeback to The Voice UK following his axing for its fifth series, when he was replaced by Boy George. The programme had initially broadcast on the BBC, launching in 2012, before transferring to ITV from its sixth series, which marked Sir Tom's return.
Sir Tom subsequently remarked: "I wasn't really upset with the BBC. But whoever was responsible made a mistake." He continued: "There's a knockback right there, at my time of life - to prove to these young singers coming on the show that even I got a knockback, after all that time. Then you've got to think - it's their loss. I knew what the public felt because of the feedback I had."
The Express has contacted ITV and Sir Tom's representative for comment. The Voice UK continues Saturday, October 17 at 8.35pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
