Tom Jones impressed his The Voice co-judge will.i.am by returning to work soon after having a hip replacement.
The two singers are joined by Jennifer Hudson and new mentor Olly Murs on the British version of the singing competition, which returns to the small screen on Saturday (06Jan18).
The Delilah singer had to undergo surgery in September after doctors found that the cartilage in his left hip had worn away, and the bones were left crunching together. But four months on, the 77-year-old legend is fighting fit once again.
“Think about it," raves will.i.am, "Tom has an excuse not to come back. He has a new hip, he’s 70 years old-plus, he could just say, ‘I’m going to relax’. But Tom is like, ‘I have a new hip and I’m coming on The Voice and I’m more vibrant than I was last season’.
"I don’t know where he gets the energy from but I want to be like Tom when I’m in my seventies,” will.i.am added at a press conference to launch the new season of The Voice, according to Star magazine.
“It’s just a joy to be in his presence and sit next to him and watch and learn from him. Anything he says is just gold and I just think, ‘Wow’,” Jennifer added.
His co-stars’ kind words didn’t go unnoticed by Tom, who reciprocated their sentiments.
“These two, they are like friends to me,” he smiled. “It’s like when you haven’t seen someone for a while, then when you do you know them so well you just click straight back again.”
“I don’t need any kind of aid now,” he added of his operation. “I’m walking fine and it’s getting better and stronger every day.”
