Sir Tom Jones, 84, claims ‘I had to’ as he breaks silence amid ‘retirement’ calls over controversial ITV The Voice decision
Sir Tom Jones, 84, has doubled down on his controversial decision to send singing duo Billy and Louie through to the final of this year’s The Voice.
The Sexbomb hitmaker sparked uproar with ITV viewers this past weekend after he announced he’d be giving the twin brothers a shot at victory at the expense of Hollie Peabody and Ace.
After the show’s Instagram account shared a clip of the moment Jones announced Billy and Louie as his finalists, fans flocked to the comments to express their anger.
Some branded the decision as the “biggest mistake” the show has ever seen while others suggested that Jones should leave the swivelling chairs behind him after 12 years as coach.
In a new behind the scenes clip shared by the show’s social media outlets, Jones addressed fans and explained exactly why he decided to put the twin siblings through to the final.
“Billy and Louie, you know, they’re different,” Jones began as he stood alongside the singing duo.
He defended the decision further, adding: “First of all, they’re a duo, of course, and I didn’t have a duo until now on this show.
“And they’re twins! And they sound fantastic together. So I had to pick them and I had to put them through.”
Jones’s explanation will undoubtedly serve as little consolation to furious fans, the majority of whom expected Ace to secure a spot in Saturday’s grand finale.
Billy and Louie will face competition for the top spot against the likes of Deb Orah, Ava, and Storry in Saturday’s finale as Jones, will.i.am, LeAnn Rimes, and Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher critique their final performances.
Away from the show, Jones has addressed the possibility of hanging up the microphone for good in the past, especially after admitting he now has “less control” of his voice now he’s gotten older.
However, following the conclusion of his latest world tour earlier this month, Jones issued a defiant message about his touring future that allayed any fears of him stepping back.
Meanwhile, his fellow coaches also joined him ahead of The Voice’s finale to explain why they feel the public should get behind their chosen act.
Rimes hyped up Deb Orah, telling fans: “Alright, you guys… This is why you need to support Deb Orah, my finalist. She is an insane vocalist.
“She’s got incredible range, she’s got the most beautiful heart, she knows how to tell a great story… she just throws her heart and soul into everything she does. She is The Voice.”
Fletcher implored fans to show their support to Ava by saying: “It’s the final this weekend and the reason why you should all be backing Ava is because she has something so special and unique, and she doesn’t even know it herself.
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“So she needs all of us to show her, believe in her. That’s what’s amazing about her. She deserves to win but she doesn’t expect to win.”
And will.i.am threw his backing behind Storry: “Storry is my finalist and se deserves to win The Voice because of how dynamic, how fearless, how multi-hyphenate she is as an artist.
“She’s soul, R&B, gospel, opera if she wants to be, classical… That’s why she needs to be the champion.
Fans will be able to see who is crowned the winner of this year’s The Voice on Saturday evening from 8:10pm.
