Jessie J is to leave her role as coach on BBC1's reality singing contest The Voice, blaming overseas touring and promotional commitments for her new record. In fairness, the BBC was lucky to hang on to the pop-star for its second season after she delayed committing to the show following Leanne Mitchell's surprising win.

The corporation - which has already announced a third season of the show - said it was "so sorry" to see her go. You bet they were. Though Jessie J is often considered a polarising figure in music circles - perhaps for her wacky idiosyncrasies and the fact she tells contestants how it is to be a woman in the music industry ever week - she is absolutely key to The Voice's target audiences. She came to prominence with her debut single 'Do It Like a Dude' though it was the smash-hit 'Price Tag' that catapulted her to global fame - the catchy track topping the charts in nineteen countries including the United Kingdom, New Zealand and France. Her debut album Who You Are sold 2.5 copies and fifth single Domino broke into the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US - no mean feat for a British pop artist. 

Watch the video for Jessie J's Wild (featuring Big Sean).

The Voice was clearly put together to offer a younger, fresher, cooler alternative to the stale format of The X-Factor and Britain's Got Talent, which was partially achieved from the onset with the blind auditions. However, it did not achieve that with the outcome of its first season, when, despite Jessie J's efforts to propel young and unique acts to the latter stages, the Tom Jones' mentored Leanne Mitchell usurped everyone to win. The Welsh singer clearly boasted a strong voice, though her pub-singer vibe could not be ignored and she sold fewer than 1,000 copies of her debut album.  

Audience figures for the second series failed to match those of 2012 and disabled contestant Andrea Begley was crowned the winner. Another contestant with bags of talent, though a singer with question marks over her ability to sell heaps of records.

Jessie JJessie J Performing At The Isle of MTV Concert In Malta

BBC controller of entertainment commissioning Mark Linsey said of Jessie J's exit, "We're so sorry to see Jessie go as she's been an exceptional coach.We will now start the search for a new coach." The problem is, Lindsey might be looking for three other coaches, with Will.i.am, Tom Jones and Danny O'Donoghue still yet to commit to the third season. Jessie J's departure will certainly make Will and Danny especially think twice about signing on the dotted line. 

Jessie JJessie J Is Saying Goodbye To The Voice