The Wanted's Tom Parker reveals he's been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour
Devastating news
Heartbreaking news this morning as former The Wanted star Tom Parker has revealed he's been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour at the age of 32.
Tom, who has one daughter and another baby on the way with his wife Kelsey, bravely opened up to his fans on Instagram this morning (Monday 12th October). He wrote, 'Hey guys, you know that we’ve both been quiet on social media for a few weeks and it’s time to tell you why. There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a Brain Tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment. We decided, after a lot of thought, that rather than hiding away and trying to keep it a secret, we would do one interview where we could lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way.
'We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way. We don’t want your sadness, we just want love and positivity and together we will raise awareness of this terrible disease and look for all available treatment options. It’s gonna be a tough battle but with everyone’s love and support we are going to beat this. Tom and Kelsey xxx'. (sic)
Tom also spoke to OK! Magazine about his news, fighting back his tears during the interview, the 'All Time Low' singer told the publication, "I’m still in complete shock, it’s so much to take in. I knew something wasn’t right, but I never expected it to be this. You never think this will happen to you."
Speaking about her husband's diagnosis, pregnant Kelsey revealed how hard it is to watch Tom go through it. She added, "It still doesn’t feel real. I don’t think Tom will ever process this information. It’s horrendous. Watching your partner go through this is so hard, because how can I tell him to not let it consume him? I take his phone away from him, because otherwise he will sit there and Google things and then end up in a hole. The more you Google, the worse possible stuff it throws at you, and that’s not good for anyone."
Tom, who is being treated at At King’s College Hospital in London, also opened up about the awful moment he was told the news by doctors, revealing the tumour is terminal.
He said, "Kelsey couldn’t come in because of Covid. They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, 'It’s a brain tumour.' All I could think was, 'F*g hell!' I was in shock. It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said its terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it."
Tom first shot to fame when boy band The Wanted were founded and managed by Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun. Tom joined the band alongside Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes, with the boys going on to have a number of major hits such as 'All Time Low', 'Chasing The Sun', 'Walks Like Rihanna', and 'Glad You Came'.
After a number of years of success, involving albums, TV shows and tours, The Wanted announced in January 2014 that they were taking a hiatus in order to focus on solo projects.
Tom went on to appear on a number of TV shows after the band's split, including Celebrity MasterChef and The Jump, before taking on the role of Danny Zuko in Grease for the musical's UK tour.
We are sending Tom and his family all of our love right now. ❤️