Music legend Sir Tom Jones, originally from Pontypridd, rose to fame in the 1960s and has enjoyed a career filled with numerous number one hits and sold-out tours. However, in his 2016 memoir Over The Top And Back, the music icon didn’t hold back as he revealed his true thoughts about his co-stars on The Voice, even taking a swipe at one as she left the show to join a rival.
After the show first aired in the UK on BBC One in 2012, Sir Tom was joined by fellow stars to judge and mentor those performing in the talent contest. Among them was the highly respected Black Eyed Peas singer, Will.i. am, who Sir Tom described as having “the innocence of a 12-year-old child when he speaks, uses all sorts of expressions of his own, but he speaks with enormous clarity, in fact.”
He was equally impressed with Jessie J, who quickly established herself on the team, with the 84 year old describing the Bang Bang hitmaker as a ‘ballsy kid’.
As the third series approached, part of the original set of judges changed when Danny O’Donoghue left the show to be replaced by Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson. The singer was an instant hit with the Welshman, as he described Ricky as the “fella I’m closest to on the show. Regular guy. No b******t.”, reports Wales Online.
One of the most notable additions to the show was Kylie Minogue, who stepped in for Jessie J after she decided to leave. Sir Tom Jones commented on Kylie’s presence, saying: “She has a professional veneer which is there, on camera and off, which it’s hard to feel you’re getting behind. But it’s a really nice professional veneer, she’s been at it a long time.”
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However, Kylie’s tenure was brief, and she was succeeded by Rita Ora.
Despite getting along with Sir Tom, he expressed disappointment when she left for The X Factor: “Rita’s driven like Jessie, but less hard on herself. She’s having fun with it. Although, after one series of stealing both the show and the nation’s hearts, she decides to sod off to The X Factor, which is a pity.”
Sir Tom Jones became a household name in the 1960s and enjoyed a flourishing career with numerous chart-toppers. In 2006, his contributions to music were honoured with a knighthood from the late Queen.
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