Boy George on The Voice.

For my wife, no TV show is complete without a panel of judges. I seldom watch these programmes, so I’ve only just discovered that Boy George has replaced Tom Jones on The Voice. Much better. Tom was always so handsome, such a huge star with such an amazing voice that he never developed much of a personality. So he’s not the sharpest tool in the box. George, on the other hand, is sharp enough to shave with. If you’ve ever met him, he’s a big old lump from Irish working-class stock, built like the plumbers and plasterers he grew up with. To come from that and to be so publicly and flamboyantly gay in the 1980s must have taken enormous courage. He’s also had his fair share of “issues” which gives him great empathy with young, aspirant vocalists. And let’s not forget, the Boy could sing.