Sir Tom Jones has been part of The Voice UK for so long that his famous red chair has come to feel almost permanent.
Now, that could be about to change.
The 86-year-old music legend has reportedly been dropped as a full-time coach ahead of the show’s 15th series as producers prepare one of the biggest panel shake-ups in its history. Cheryl and rapper Aitch are expected to join will.i.am and Kelly Rowland when filming begins, leaving no full-time coaching seat for Sir Tom.
But there is an important twist.
Despite reports that Sir Tom is losing his chair, ITV has not confirmed a complete departure. A show source has said discussions are continuing and that the broadcaster is hopeful he could still return in some capacity.
For a coach who has appeared in 13 of the programme’s 14 seasons, it potentially marks the end of an era — or at least a dramatic change in his role.
Sir Tom could lose his team for the first time in years
Sir Tom has been one of the defining faces of The Voice UK since the programme launched on BBC One in 2012.
He joined the original coaching panel alongside will.i.am, Jessie J and Danny O’Donoghue and quickly became a fan favourite.
His combination of extraordinary career stories, spontaneous performances and calm mentoring style gave him a role unlike anyone else on the panel.
Even when The Voice UK moved from the BBC to ITV, Sir Tom remained a central figure.
The current 2026 series again features him alongside will.i.am, Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones and newcomer Kelly Rowland.
But reports about the next series suggest producers want something very different.
Bosses reportedly wanted a ‘major refresh’
According to the reported plans, Sir Tom will no longer have his own team or permanent red chair for series 15.
An insider claimed there was a feeling behind the scenes that the programme needed a major refresh.
With Cheryl and Aitch expected to come aboard, Kelly Rowland reportedly returning and will.i.am remaining, there simply was not room for Sir Tom in the proposed four-coach lineup.
The change would be significant.
Sir Tom has survived countless panel reshuffles over the years while other coaches have come and gone around him.
For many viewers, he has effectively become part of the programme’s identity.
Producers may still find another role for him
The situation does not necessarily mean Sir Tom is disappearing from The Voice UK altogether.
One reported source said those involved with the programme were sad to see him leave the full-time coaching panel and were discussing whether he might appear in a smaller role.
Sir Tom reportedly still wants to remain connected to the programme because of how much he enjoys discovering and mentoring new singers.
That possibility is particularly important because ITV itself has not publicly announced that he has been permanently removed.
A show source told the Mirror that ITV “absolutely loves working with Sir Tom” and that conversations about his future are continuing.
So while reports point toward the end of his time as a regular coach, calling it a complete exit would be premature.
Sir Tom has not addressed the reports himself
Sir Tom has yet to publicly comment on the latest claims.
ITV also has not issued an official statement confirming the reported new coaching panel.
That leaves the situation in an unusual position.
The apparent plan is for Sir Tom to lose the red chair.
But negotiations may still determine whether he appears elsewhere in the series.
Given his history with the programme, even a smaller role could allow producers to introduce a new generation of coaches without entirely severing one of the show’s longest-running relationships.
Cheryl could make a major TV comeback
One of the biggest changes reportedly being lined up is the return of Cheryl.
The former Girls Aloud singer and X Factor judge has largely stayed away from major prime-time television in recent years.
Reports emerged in August that she was in advanced discussions to join The Voice UK, with production reportedly working on the assumption that she would be part of the next series.
Her arrival would represent a major television comeback.
Cheryl previously spent years judging singers on The X Factor, making her a familiar figure in exactly the kind of role The Voice requires.
She would also be reunited professionally with will.i.am, a longtime friend.
Aitch would bring another very different voice to the panel
Rapper Aitch is also reportedly being lined up as a new coach.
His arrival would push the panel further toward a generational reset.
Alongside Cheryl, he would replace the dynamic provided in the current series by McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones, who share the programme’s first double chair.
Kelly Rowland, meanwhile, is expected to stay after joining the current season.
The Destiny’s Child star was officially announced as a coach for the 2026 series alongside Sir Tom, will.i.am and the McFly pair.
If the reported 2027 lineup goes ahead, will.i.am would become the only original coach still occupying a permanent chair.
It would not be the first time Sir Tom was removed
Longtime viewers will remember that Sir Tom has been through this before.
He was unexpectedly left out of the fifth series when the show was still on the BBC.
Paloma Faith and Boy George were among the coaches brought into the lineup during that period.
Sir Tom later returned after ITV took over the programme.
But the way his earlier departure was handled clearly stayed with him.
In his 2016 memoir Over the Top and Back, he admitted that he had been stunned.
“To say I was shocked is to put it mildly,” he wrote.
Importantly, he said the issue was not simply that he had been replaced.
“My shock was about the way they did it.”
Sir Tom knew no coach could expect a permanent seat
Despite his disappointment, Sir Tom also acknowledged that no television personality can reasonably assume a role belongs to them forever.
“Nobody has the right to think of themselves as a permanent fixture,” he wrote.
His frustration centered on how his team had been informed that he was effectively out of contract.
That earlier episode makes the latest reported shake-up especially striking.
Sir Tom returned to the show and went on to spend another decade as one of its most enduring stars.
Now, once again, he could be facing life away from the red chair.
He has become much more than just another coach
Sir Tom’s importance to The Voice UK has never rested simply on his name.
His career stretches back to the early 1960s, long before most of the contestants he mentors were born.
His catalogue includes hits such as “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat?,” “Delilah,” “She’s a Lady” and “Sex Bomb.”
That history gives the programme something few talent shows can replicate.
A contestant sitting opposite Sir Tom is being advised by someone who has experienced six decades of the music business.
But he has also managed to avoid becoming merely the “elder statesman” of the panel.
His humour, competitive streak and willingness to perform have repeatedly produced some of the programme’s most memorable moments.
The current series proves he is still firmly part of the show
There is another reason the reports may surprise viewers.
Sir Tom is currently appearing on The Voice UK.
The ongoing 2026 series began in August with Emma Willis presenting and Sir Tom coaching alongside will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
So audiences are watching him occupy his usual chair at the same time reports are emerging that he will not be there when the next series is filmed.
That creates an unusually abrupt transition.
For viewers who have associated him with the show since its beginning, the change could feel even bigger once the current episodes finish airing.
The Voice is entering a very different era
The reported changes are not limited to Sir Tom.
They suggest producers are attempting a much broader reinvention.
Cheryl would bring experience from one of Britain’s biggest previous talent shows.
Aitch would offer a younger contemporary perspective.
Kelly Rowland brings both Destiny’s Child history and international coaching experience.
And will.i.am would provide continuity with the programme’s earliest years.
If Sir Tom moves into a reduced role, the result would be the most obvious generational shift the coaching panel has seen in years.
There is still one major unanswered question
For now, the central issue is not whether Sir Tom’s role is changing.
Multiple reports suggest it is.
The unanswered question is how far that change will go.
Will he disappear from the programme entirely?
Will he return as a guest mentor?
Could producers create another recurring position that keeps him connected to the contestants without giving him a permanent team?
ITV’s reported willingness to continue discussions suggests the door has not been completely closed.
That distinction matters.
After 13 seasons, “Sir Tom leaves The Voice” and “Sir Tom gives up his red chair” are not necessarily the same story.
Losing the chair would still mark the end of an era
Even if Sir Tom returns in a smaller capacity, seeing somebody else permanently occupy one of those chairs would be a major change.
Since 2012, coaches have arrived, departed and occasionally returned.
Sir Tom and will.i.am have provided the programme’s strongest sense of continuity.
Together, they link the current ITV version directly to the show’s original BBC lineup.
If the reported shake-up goes ahead, only will.i.am would remain in that full-time role.
Sir Tom would move from being part of the weekly competition to whatever new position producers can agree with him.
For a programme built around coaches turning their chairs, that would be far more than a routine casting change.
After more than a decade, one of The Voice UK’s most familiar red chairs may finally have a new occupant.
But Sir Tom Jones’ relationship with the show may not be finished just yet.