Sir Tom Jones has slammed the BBC, branding it as ‘cold’ following his unexpected departure before the fifth series of The Voice UK. The iconic musician, a key part of the original coach line-up featuring will.i.am, Jessie J, and Danny O’Donoghue, was unceremoniously axed by BBC bosses who decided not to renew his contract.
Despite his four-season stint on the show, Sir Tom, now 84, expressed his surprise at the abrupt nature of his exit in his 2016 autobiography ‘Over The Top and Back’. He had been preparing for the upcoming season and had heard rumours of Paloma Faith possibly stepping in for Rita Ora.
Nevertheless, just one month prior to the start of filming, he claims that his agent received the astonishing news that he wouldn’t be “invited back”, paving the way for Boy George to join the show. Reflecting on the ordeal, Sir Tom remarked: “To say I was shocked is to put it mildly. But my shock wasn’t about the fact they had replaced me. My shock was about the way they did it.”
While he accepts that no one is irreplaceable, he conveyed his frustration when seeking explanations from the BBC for his replacement, stating that they merely answered that he was “out of contract”, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. In a comment about the broadcaster, he concluded: “Indisputable as a bald statement of fact, I guess. But what a cold place the BBC is. Sometimes you wonder whether it is run by humans or a machine in the basement.”, reports Derbyshire Live.
Sir Tom has rarely missed a beat on The Voice, only ever sitting out one season and remaining a constant presence since. His excitement is palpable for the upcoming series of the show, which marks its continued run on ITV after transitioning from the BBC.
This season sees fresh faces LeAnn Rimes, Danny Jones of McFly, and Tom Fletcher join the coaching panel alongside the legendary Sir Tom and Will.i.am. With auditions broadcast tonight, Sir Tom shared his thoughts on the new cohort: “We have our new coaches, LeAnn, Danny and Tom, joining myself and Will. It has brought a fresh energy to the show. What amazes me is the brilliant voices that we discover every single year.”
He also expressed admiration for this year’s singers: “This year we have a fresh bunch of singers and that’s what we are looking for. I look at The Voice being an amazing platform for our homegrown singers to showcase to the world. I think the strength in the variety of coaches is that we are all listening for completely different things, which makes it interesting.”
Fans won’t want to miss out, so be sure to catch The Voice on ITV1, every Saturday at 8:30pm to see the latest talent battles unfold.