Tom Jones' ruthless verdict on BBC bosses after being suddenly dropped from The Voice

Sir Tom Jones was one of the original coaches on The Voice UK, but was dropped by the BBC after four series - and he didn't hold back in his assessment of the broadcaster.

Sir Tom Jones once harshly referred to the BBC as a "cold place" after he was let go ahead of the fifth series of The Voice UK.

The seasoned singer was one of the original coaches, alongside Black Eyed Peas' will. i.am, Jessie J, and Danny O'Donoguhue from the Script. However, after four series, according to Tom, BBC executives informed him his contract wouldn't be renewed.

Sir Tom, 84, said he had spent the summer expecting the show would be recommissioned, and had heard whispers that Paloma Faith might replace then-judge Rita Ora, who had switched to ITV's The X Factor.

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But with just a month left before filming was set to begin, Tom claims producers contacted his agent to say he wouldn't be "invited back", with Boy George stepping in.

The Delilah singer said he was left "shocked" by the news. In his 2016 autobiography Over The Top and Back, he explained: "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."

Tom goes on to admit "nobody has the right to think of themselves as a permanent fixture", and when his management questioned the decision to replace the star, he claims BBC bosses simply responded by saying he was "out of contract".

He continued: "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."

Tom "liked" tuning into The Voice itself, and after a one series absence, returned as a judge when the programme made the switch from BBC to ITV. He will be returning for the fifth round of auditions tonight alongside fellow judges LeAnn Rimes, will.i.am and Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher from McFly.

LeAnn is taking over from outgoing coach Anne-Marie, while Danny and Tom are replacing Olly Murs. Ahead of the new series, Welsh icon Sir Tom commented: "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.

"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."

The Voice airs on ITV1 on Saturdays at 8:30pm.