Tom Jones has refuted rumours that his marriage is in trouble.

The It's Not Unusual singer has been married to Linda Woodward for 49 years, during which time he has indulged in a notably open relationship. When Woodward did not show up to see Jones receive his knighthood, rumours were sparked that the marriage was in trouble.

Jones, however, says this is untrue, instead claiming: "I knew Linda wouldn't be at the Palace because she is scared of flying. After 9/11 she will not fly anymore. We'll have been married for 50 years next year and it's a case of, what else would we want to do?

"Neither of us felt strong enough to walk away from the marriage. There's no need and it works for us and everything's cool - at least it was last time I checked and that was after the knighthood."