Sir Tom Jones left his fellow coaches on The Voice UK in stitches during Saturday's episode after accidentally delivering what viewers called a "sex education" lesson, explaining the British meaning of the word "fanny" to his American co-stars.
The moment came after will.i.am told fellow coach Danny Jones that his rap name would be "Danny Fanny", prompting Kelly Rowland to suggest he could rap about it. Sir Tom, 86, quickly stepped in to clarify the term's alternate meaning in the UK.
"Kelly, over here, only women have fannies. It's a vagina!" he told her, sending the panel into fits of laughter. Tom covered his mouth as he realised what he had said, while host Emma Willis looked visibly shocked and covered her face.
Viewers react to 'funniest moment ever'
Kelly joked afterwards: "Y'all did not expect a sex ed conversation!"
Viewers at home praised the exchange, saying they had replayed the clip several times. "Sir Tom is just the best! Thinking to myself he can't say it, he can't say it... then he did!" one wrote. Others called it "the funniest thing ever" and said Sir Tom was "an international treasure".
One fan wrote that he was "like a teacher explaining the meaning of fanny, absolutely priceless".
Tom Jones's exit from The Voice
The lighthearted moment was overshadowed by Sir Tom's recent axing from the show. This week, ITV confirmed a "revamp" of The Voice UK that will see rapper Aitch and former Girls Aloud singer Cheryl join as coaches, replacing both Sir Tom and Danny Jones, who are both leaving the panel.
Following the announcement, Sir Tom criticised ITV, claiming he had been dropped "last-minute" after 13 years as a judge on the show.
Many viewers agreed the decision was a mistake. "Sadly he's since been sacked from The Voice," one wrote, while another said: "Can guarantee you are going to lose a lot of viewers, The Voice without Tom and Will wouldn't work!"
Backlash over Stacey Solomon's arrival
Stacey Solomon and Alesha Dixon are set to replace Emma Willis as hosts of The Voice UK, after Willis landed a presenting role on Strictly Come Dancing.
The change drew criticism from viewers on X. "Can't believe they've sacked the legend Tom Jones and replaced him with Stacey Solomon. What does she know about musical talent? About mentoring a singer? ITV are making a mockery of #thevoice," one person wrote. Another asked: "Why the f**k are they getting rid of Tom Jones on The Voice again?? He's the only one who actually knows how to sing out of the judges."
User OneCrispyGraham branded the situation an "abysmal travesty", while miracles222 called it a "huge loss" for ITV. Another user, Tom_Muzzy_2001, wrote: "ITV will regret sacking Tom Jones," vowing to stop watching the show once Stacey Solomon joins.
What Sir Tom Jones said about his exit
In a statement posted on social media this month, Sir Tom said: "To be clear, I did not want to leave The Voice as I love the show and really appreciate the audience."
He explained that he had been offered a "much reduced" role that would not include his own chair or involvement for the whole show. "I'm not thrilled about that," he wrote. "So the only thing I know right now is that there's never a good time to fire an 86-year-old who's still pretty good at his job."
ITV's response
A source told Metro: "ITV absolutely love Sir Tom and they're working very hard behind the scenes to make this work."
Another source said the show needed a "major refresh" despite Sir Tom's popularity. "Everyone loves Sir Tom but there was a feeling that the upcoming series needed a major refresh. With Aitch and Cheryl coming on board and Kelly returning with will.i.am, there just wasn't a seat going," the source added.
Filming for the new series began in Manchester on Friday and is expected to air next year.
