Kevin Simm, who won The Voice UK a decade ago, has criticised the ITV talent show, calling it a "waste of time" following the departure of long-standing coach Sir Tom Jones. Speaking to Cloer Magazine, Simm said: "As much as my time on The Voice was brilliant, I do think that show is just a waste of f*****g time." He added: "It never does anything for the winners, why is it still on television?"
Coaching Line-Up Changes
Sir Tom, who is currently appearing on series 14, will not return next year. Bosses had hoped to offer him a role in a "different capacity," but sources have said he has ruled out returning. The new line-up will see will.i.am joined by returning coach Kelly Rowland, alongside newcomers Cheryl Tweedy and rapper Aitch.
Sir Tom previously said 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 just told 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."
Reaction from Sir Tom's Peers
Sir Tom's friend, Grammy Award winner Richard Marx, who coaches on The Voice Australia, also criticised the handling of the situation. He told the Mirror: "The way that went down, and I don't know the behind-the-scenes details, but I know Tom a little bit, and he's such a class act, and I think however they handled it, they handled it badly, it seems. And the backlash, the public backlash, has been pretty significant."
Marx praised Sir Tom's resilience, saying: "I just saw a clip on TikTok yesterday from a gig like a week ago, and he came out, and you could tell he was like, 'Ugh, my hips hurt!' or whatever, you know, like, but then he sits down, and his voice is the same! It's unbelievable, he's 86. Holy s**t! That's goals for me, man! I want to be that."
Sir Tom noted that ITV is making a much-reduced role for him, where he would appear without being involved from the start, adding: "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."
