Earlier today, 25-year-old singer Jessie J posted to her Twitter account, announcing her departure from BBC's singing competition show 'The Voice U.K." Amidst back-and-forth rumors of staying or leaving as well as a drop in ratings from the first season of the show, Jessie's announcement comes at a convenient time for the BBC to build up more hype for the competition-based show's third season. Jessie J admits that she has some remorse for leaving, but has to focus on her own career.
"I've absolutely loved my time on The Voice and I hope everyone saw and knows how passionately I felt about the show," she tweeted on Friday.
"However, I can't wait to promote my new record around the world and that has to take priority," she added. Jessie, the only female coach on the BBC show, was apparently considering a return for the third season but insisted on putting her own career in front of everything else.
"I shall be keeping a very close eye on series 3 showing my support in every way I can and really hope that in some way that I can be part of the show," Jessie J added on Twitter.
Mark Linsey, the controller, entertainment commissioning at the BBC, had this to say about Jessie J's departure:
"We're so sorry to see Jessie go as she's been an exceptional coach on, and advocate for, The Voice, but we totally support her decision to leave due to touring commitments overseas."
Linsey also suggested that he hoped the former coach would come back to perform on the next season of the show. This would clearly be beneficial for both parties.
"In the meantime we will now start the search for a new coach," Lindsey concluded.
The second season of the show fell in ratings after a strong first season and critics have been suggesting changed in the coaches lineup. Jessie J's departure is definitely a step in that direction, though it looks like her reasons for leaving were strictly based on her singing career.
The BBC had not mentioned replacing the young performer and have yet to comment on the futures of the other coaches - will.i.am, Tom Jones and Danny O'Donoghue.
