SIR TOM JONES RESPONDS AS TENS OF THOUSANDS DEMAND HIS RETURN TO THE VOICE UK

MANCHESTER, UK — Sir Tom Jones has responded to an extraordinary wave of fan support after tens of thousands of viewers signed a petition calling for the legendary Welsh singer to be reinstated as a coach on The Voice UK.

The 86-year-old music icon thanked supporters after a Change.org campaign calling for his return rapidly gathered tens of thousands of signatures.

The petition, launched after news of the show’s major 2027 shake-up, had passed 59,000 signatures by September 21 and has continued to climb. Change.org’s current page shows more than 62,000 verified signatures, while reports on September 22 cited a total of more than 82,000 depending on how signatures are counted.

“SO MANY HEARTFELT MESSAGES”

Sir Tom addressed the reaction directly on Instagram alongside a clip of himself performing his famous hit “It’s Not Unusual” on the programme.

He wrote:

“It’s Not Unusual… So many heartfelt messages, comments and even petitions of support. It doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s been really lovely to receive these! Thank you!”

The message appeared to acknowledge the growing campaign without directly calling on ITV to reverse its decision.

Fans immediately filled the comments with messages supporting the singer, with many describing him as an essential part of the programme and expressing disappointment over his departure.

WHY IS SIR TOM LEAVING THE VOICE UK?

The change follows a major overhaul planned for the show’s 15th series.

Sir Tom has been a coach on The Voice UK since the programme launched in 2012, although he was absent for one series. He has appeared as a full-time coach for 13 of the show’s 14 seasons.

Earlier this month, Jones publicly said that he did not want to leave the programme and claimed ITV had made the decision.

He also said he had been told the reason involved financial difficulties surrounding insurance. ITV, however, publicly framed the change as part of a decision to refresh the programme and introduce a new coaching line-up.

An ITV spokesperson said the broadcaster had loved working with Sir Tom over the previous nine years and confirmed that he would no longer be a full-time coach for series 15.

The spokesperson also said discussions with Jones and his team about his possible involvement in the next series were continuing.

CHERYL AND AITCH JOIN THE NEW LINE-UP

The next series will feature a significantly different coaching panel.

Girls Aloud star Cheryl and Manchester rapper Aitch have been announced as new coaches, joining returning coaches Kelly Rowland and will.i.am.

They replace Sir Tom Jones, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones on the coaching panel.

The upcoming series is part of a wider format change, with Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon also taking over presenting duties from Emma Willis.

Filming for the 2027 series has already taken place in Manchester, while the current series featuring Sir Tom continues to air on ITV.

FANS LAUNCH PETITION TO BRING HIM BACK

The petition was created by fan Aaron Howlett on September 8.

Its description argues that Jones’ experience and mentorship have been an important part of the programme and calls on ITV to reconsider his removal from the coaching panel.

The campaign initially passed 48,000 signatures before climbing beyond 59,000 within days.

By September 22, the petition page showed more than 62,000 verified signatures, demonstrating the scale of the online campaign.

Other reports have cited an even higher overall figure of more than 82,000 signatures, reflecting different ways of counting signatures on the petition platform.

SIR TOM’S FUTURE WITH THE SHOW REMAINS OPEN

Despite his departure as a full-time coach, ITV has not ruled out Sir Tom having some form of involvement in the next series.

The broadcaster has said discussions with his team are ongoing.

That means his relationship with The Voice UK may not be completely over, even though he will not occupy a regular coaching chair when the revamped series begins.

For now, Sir Tom remains part of the current season, giving viewers another opportunity to see the veteran performer on the programme that has been part of his television career for more than a decade.

And as his latest Instagram message shows, the singer has clearly seen the extraordinary reaction from viewers who want him to remain part of the show.