The legendary crooner is joined by the likes of Jessie J and will.i.am on the new BBC reality show, and he told the Daily Mail that its rival shows are the missing point with regards to unearthing new talent.

He reckons The Voice, which sees judges take in contestant's performances with their backs turned, is focusing on the talent, not image. He said:

"People now are seeing and not really listening. You can see shows with a lot of singers in there and there is a production value involved, a lot of people like that kind of thing but I like to hear a voice."

Jones also took a stab at the panels of other shows, suggesting that judging line-ups such as the X Factor's - which often includes the likes of record executives and managers - lack singing know-how. He added:

"We are here to be coaches. We are not judging them. It's the first time they've had four singers as coaches not record producers."