The Voice UK’s judging panel is apparently getting quite the revamp ahead of its new run.
For the last few weeks, it’s been heavily rumoured that former X Factor star Cheryl Tweedy will be staging a return to our screens as a new coach on The Voice UK.
According to The Sun, Cheryl will be taking over the seat previously occupied by Sir Tom Jones, while former I’m A Celebrity star and rapper Aitch will replace McFly stars Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher, who are also leaving.
Fans of Sir Tom needn’t worry, though, as the legendary crooner is expected to remain with the show, albeit in a new role created just for him.
A show source said: “ITV absolutely loves working with Sir Tom. They are in talks with him and are hopeful he will return to the series.”
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Cheryl and Aitch will join Kelly Rowland and Will.i.am, the latter being the only member of The Voice UK’s on-screen team who has been with the show since its inception.
Meanwhile, Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon are rumoured to be the show’s new co-hosts, taking over from Emma Willis, who is now gearing up for her first season at the helm of Strictly Come Dancing.
If these rumours do turn out to be true, it will mark the first time that The Voice UK has showcased a panel with an equal number of male and female coaches.
Since it launched, the talent search has featured a coaching team made up of only one woman, alongside three (and, in some cases, four) men.
Besides her chart-topping pop career, Cheryl does know a thing or two about talent show judging.
The former Girls Aloud star’s profile blew up even further when she was added to the X Factor panel in 2008, serving for three seasons before eventually returning in 2014 and 2015.
More recently, she also judged on another Simon Cowell project, the short-lived BBC dance series The Greatest Dancer.