Tom Parker, the 33-year-old singer best known for being a member of the boyband The Wanted, has died after being diagnosed an inoperable brain tumour.
The sad news was confirmed today in a statement from his wife Kelsey, which reads: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side. Our hearts are broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence. We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you ❤️💫✨❤️"
Parker was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in October 2020 after suffering a series of "unexplained" seizures during the summer months the same year.
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In an interview with OK! Magazine, Parker said doctors told him that they had found a grade 4 glioblastoma.
"I'm going to be here. I'm going to fight this.”
In January 2021, Parker told fans that his brain tumour had shrunk in an Instagram update. Later that year, he announced on Instagram that his brain tumor was under control
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In a post shared in November 2021, Parker wrote: "I'm sat here with tears in my eyes. We've got my brain tumour under control."
Parker and his wife Kelsey decided to share his cancer journey with the world, including updates from his radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.
This type of brain tumour has a life expectancy of anywhere between three months to 18 months on average, after diagnosis.
Figures suggest that only five per cent of patients survive more than five years after their diagnosis.
Parker also appeared in his own Channel 4 documentary, Inside My Head, in which he openly discussed his feelings around his diagnosis, treatments and his thoughts on death.
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He also shared that he suffered from short-term memory loss and spent three months confined to his bed.
“It’s so hard to think about the future,” he said.
“I don’t want to know... I don’t think you know how you feel about death until you’re faced with it. Am I going to die? That’s the most important question.”
Parker’s mum Noreen is featured in the documentary as well as his wife Kelsey, with whom he shares a son and a daughter, spoke about some of the challenges they have faced. "I spent three months of last year just laying in that bed.
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“There was just so much to contend with. You're not just dealing with cancer, you're dealing with how other people can treat you.
"There's so much running through my mind. I don't want people to treat me differently because I've got something."
The Bolton native shot to fame as part of The Wanted, which topped the UK charts with hits All Time Low and Glad You Came.
In September 2021, the band announced they were reuniting for a greatest hits album and a concert.
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The full line-up, including Parker, Max George, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran, returned to the stage after seven years away to a legion of cheering fans.
The concert, titled “Inside My Head - The Concert” was organised by Parker in a bid to raise funds for vital research into new treatments for brain tumours in the UK.
The band then embarked on a UK tour, visiting Liverpool, Hull and London in March 2022 for which Parker joined his band mates on stage.
Tom was supported on the tour by his wife Kelsey, 32, and their children, Aurelia, two, and Bodhi, one.
In December 2021, Parker addressed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on brain tumours, which featured an audience of politicians, patients and activists.
“My diagnosis came as a complete shock,” he said.
“It’s been an interesting journey so far and I’ve experienced moments of real sadness and darkness.
“Some of those low points I attribute to the level of toxicity in the treatment process.
“It’s truly horrific and disgusting but it was my only choice and I hope it did the job it needed to do.”
For help and support visit the Stand Up To Cancer website here.
Gregory Robinson