Tom Jones says he did not choose to leave The Voice UK.
The 86-year-old Welsh singer addressed his future on the ITV singing competition Tuesday (Sept. 8), sharing to Instagram that he was informed he would no longer serve as a full-time coach on the show’s upcoming 15th series.
According to Jones, ITV made the decision and cited “financial difficulty with insurance” as the reason. He also said the network later described the change as an effort to refresh the coaching lineup.
Jonas made clear that he would have preferred to remain in his coaching role, writing, “I love the show and really appreciate the audience.” He said ITV offered him a smaller position that would involve appearing on the program without being part of the competition from its outset, an arrangement he said he was not enthusiastic about.
“There’s never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job,” Jones concluded.
An ITV spokesperson tells Billboard, “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 Jones and his team about his involvement in the next series.”
Jones has been a fixture of The Voice UK since its 2012 debut, aside from sitting out one season, and he’s coached three winners during his tenure. He is currently appearing on the show’s 14th season alongside will.i.am, Kelly Rowland and McFly‘s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
The television role is just one of many accomplishments over Jones’ over his nearly seven-decade career. He scored his first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with “It’s Not Unusual,” which reached No. 10 in 1965. That same year, “What’s New Pussycat?” climbed to No. 3.
For now, Jones’ exact role in the next season of The Voice UK remains unclear as he and ITV continue discussions.
