Former The Wanted Member Tom Parker Is Diagnosed With Terminal Brain Tumor
Everyone is keeping Tom Parker in their thoughts today. The former The Wanted member just announced that he was diagnosed
Lillie Gissen
Everyone is keeping Tom Parker in their thoughts today. The former The Wanted member just announced that he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, after fans noticed he had taken a sudden social media break.
“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 tumor and I’m already undergoing treatment,” the singer wrote on Instagram on Sunday, October 11. “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.”
During an interview with OK Magazine, the musician and his wife, Kelsey Hardwick, said that they went to the hospital after he suffered from two seizures over the summer. He explained, “They pulled the curtain around my bed and said, ‘It’s a brain tumor.’ All I could think was, ‘F**king hell!’ I was in shock. It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said it’s terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it.”
They also told the outlet that Parker’s former bandmates, Max George and Jay McGuinness, have visited him over the last few weeks. While the other two, Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran, have been in regular contact with him.
The Wanted First Rose To Fame In 2009
For those who don’t know, The Wanted was a British boyband who was put together by Jayne Collins in 2009. During their time together, they released three epic albums, embarked on numerous world tours, broke tons of records and so much more. Even now, you probably still get up and dance when their most popular songs, “Glad You Came” or “Chasing the Sun,” come on!
Fans Were Heartbroken When They Announced An Indefinite Hiatus In 2014
Many fans were left heartbroken when the group announced that they were splitting in 2014. So what went wrong, you ask? Well, according to Parker, George was the one who decided it was time for the band to take a break.
“It was a shock. None of the rest of us had a clue. At the time it was difficult,” he explained in a previous interview. “There can be tension but we’re lads. There’ll be a lot of shouting, then it’s over and done with.”
He also admitted that because One Direction started to gain a lot of attention around the same time, it was hard for them to flourish.
“Deep down I think I knew we’d come to our sell-by date. For every manufactured boy band, there’s a shelf life,” Parker continued. “We were supposed to rival 1D but no one could touch them.”
The musician also explained to Digital Spy, “For The Wanted to try and compete against one of the biggest bands in the world — One Direction — it’s almost impossible. I don’t think any band out there can compete with them at the moment.”
What Else Has Tom Parker Been Up To Since The Wanted Broke Up?
After his time in the band came to an end, Parker became a DJ! He released two songs in 2015 called “Undiscovered” and “Finally.” He also competed in the U.K. version of Celebrity Masterchef, where he made it all the way to the semi-finals. Plus, he participated in The Jump and came in third. The 32-year-old also starred as Danny Zuko in the U.K. tour of Grease.
As for his love life, he and Hardwick married in 2018. They welcomed a daughter together, named Aurelia, one year later. And in January 2020, they announced that they were expecting a baby boy this November!
What Is Max George Doing Now?
What about his bandmates, you ask? What are they doing now? Well, George announced in 2014 that he had been signed as a solo artist by Scooter Braun. His debut solo single, “Barcelona,” came out in 2018, and has already racked up more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify. His second song, “Better On Me,” came out one year later, and it’s still on repeat, TBH. But that’s not all. The star also stepped into the world of modeling, and became the face and spokesmodel for Buffalo denim’s 2013 fall line. Oh, and did we mention that he starred in a few episodes of Glee too?! Yep, he played Clint! On 1 September 2020, it was announced that George would be taking part in the eighteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing. He dated Michelle Keegan, Nina Agdal and Carrie Baker over the years, but now, he’s in a relationship with a normal girl named Stacey Giggs.
What Is Jay McGuinness Doing Now?
As for McGuinness, he appeared in the show Strictly Come Dancing in August 2015, where he did amazing! Besides winning the competition, he also broke records by receiving the highest week three score in the history of the competition. He’s also gotten involved in theater, and most recently, he starred in the musical Sleepless.
What Is Nathan Sykes Doing Now?
After The Wanted broke up, Sykes continued to make music on his own. His first solo song, “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” came out in March 2015, and after that, his career quickly took off. He dropped a bunch more songs, went on a tour and he released his own album, Unfinished Business, in November 2016. He also opened up for Little Mix on their Get Weird Tour and Alessia Cara on her Know-It-All Tour! He’s currently dating a girl named Charlotte Burke but she’s pretty private, so we don’t know a lot about their relationship.
What Is Siva Kaneswaran Doing Now?
Kaneswaran tied the knot with his girlfriend, Nareesha McCaffrey, in 2015. He stepped out of the spotlight for a while to enjoy married life, before returning and releasing his first solo song in September 2019! It’s called “Breathe In,” and it’s a total bop.