Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey spoke about the importance of The Wanted reuniting ahead of her late husband’s death in an interview on Friday.
The mother-of-two called the rest of the band her ‘brothers’, adding that Tom needed to ‘feel that strength from them’ as he battles a brain tumour.
Tom died of stage four glioblastoma brain cancer aged 33 on March 30 after being diagnosed with the disease in October 2020.
‘They were his brothers’: Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey revealed how important it was for The Wanted to reunite before his death in an interview on Friday
Outspoken: The mum-of-two called the other band members her ‘brothers’, adding she got to ‘feel that strength from them’ (pictured in 2021)
Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, Kelsey added that her late husband “loved” work and music and was delighted the band had reunited earlier this year.
Kelsey told host Kate Thornton that the singer “needs this band to get back together” after they went on hiatus in 2014.
She continued, “I think even if he goes through all the treatment, just everything…
“I think the band reunion was huge for him…
‘He loved music’: Kelsey told host Kate Thornton the singer, who died of stage four glioblastoma brain cancer aged 33, ‘needed this band to get back together’
“Tom loved work, loved music. He needed this group to get back together. I think he needed the boys to be behind him again, to feel that strength from them.
“Because they were obviously his brothers.”
Tom had just 12 months to live when he was first diagnosed with cancer and died on March 30 after being given the chance to play again with bandmates Max George, Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran.
Reveal: She continued: “I think even for him to go through all the treatment, just everything… I think having the band back together was huge for him…”
The Wanted released their debut album in October 2010, which reached number four in the UK Albums Chart and spawned three UK Top 20 singles.
In September 2021, the band announced that they would be returning for a new album and live concert, seven years after announcing their split, with proceeds going to cancer research.
Tom and the other band members originally planned to reform for their 10th anniversary in 2020 before the global pandemic forced them to postpone the announcement.
The group suffered another setback after Tom revealed that he had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor later that year.
The news prompted him to organize a huge pop concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall to raise critical funding for more medical research after discovering that only one per cent of the National Cancer Research budget goes to researching new treatments for brain tumours.
After contacting his four former bandmates, the band decided to give their reunion plans a boost.
In March, Tom made an emotional surprise appearance at The Wanted’s show in Bournemouth, appearing on stage sitting on a throne.
He had just returned from Spain at the weekend after more than twenty days of treatment at a specialist clinic there to prepare him for the Wanted Reunion UK tour.
Inspirational: Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast, the star added that her late husband ‘loved’ work and music
Fans couldn’t believe it when Tom turned up for the third gig of the tour at the seaside resort after missing the band’s opening show in Glasgow and the subsequent show in Newcastle.
The group then wrote on their official Twitter account: “He’s like the king! The fucking legend that is Tom Parker. Bournemouth was so special!!!”
As fans chanted his name, Nathan told the audience: “As you can probably tell, there’s a huge space in this band tonight. And we love Tom as much as you do.
Sad: Kelsey has erected a plaque honoring her late husband on her family bench and says it’s a place she and her children can now visit
Speaking on the podcast, Kelsey added that while the rest of the band are still “reaching out,” it’s hard to know what to say.
She continued: “I just think sometimes they really don’t know what to say because what can they say? They feel the pain from a different place than I do.
“When they get back on stage and sing again, it’s just going to be so painful for them.”
Kelsey also said the boys’ bond is special, noting, “They were put in a group together, but they were so lucky that they really, really got along.”
It comes after Tom’s widow recently placed a plaque honoring her late husband on her family bench and said it was a place she and her children could now visit.
Kelsey, who is mum to Tom’s two children Aurelia, three, and Bodhi, 20 months, joined her mum, grandparents and other family members to place the poignant message on the wooden bench.
The seat was originally erected in memory of her late uncle Neil, who also tragically died of cancer aged just 35.
Sign: Kelsey, who is mum to Tom’s two children Aurelia, three, and Bodhi, 20 months, joined her mum, grandparents and other family members to place the poignant message on the wooden bench
The shiny plaque she screwed to the left side of the pew reads: “Thomas Anthony Parker – Loving husband, son and father forever in our hearts 08/04/88 – 03/30/22”
Kelsey, who filmed herself and her family sitting on the bench as they celebrated Tom’s life to the soundtrack of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, with the lyrics Don’t Worry About A Thing, wrote: ‘One thing that went well today is , that I finally got Tom’s sign on our family bench.
“We created this place for my uncle Neil who sadly passed away 16 years ago today, also from cancer (yes cancer!) aged 35.
Family: The seat was originally erected in memory of her late uncle Neil, who also tragically died of cancer aged just 35
Important: This will act as a place for the family to come and visit to remember Tom and his life (pictured are his two children)
View: The shiny plaque she screwed to the left side of the bench reads: “Thomas Anthony Parker – Loving husband, son and father forever in our hearts 08/04/88 – 03/30/22”
“We love coming here to remember him, to honor him, to think about our precious memories with him, so to make this Tom’s space just felt so right.”
Having a place where me and our kids can come to Tom means the world and I wanted to share it with you all #positiveparkers #3littlebirds.’
Kelsey has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the disease and keep her husband’s memory alive – and revealed she has a secret project coming up next week.
It comes after Kelsey threw a gorgeous princess party for her daughter Aurelia’s 3rd birthday at the end of last month, as she celebrated without her dad for the first time.
Plan: Kelsey, who filmed herself and her family sitting on the bench as they celebrated Tom’s life, wrote: “One thing that went well today was finally getting Tom’s plaque on our family bench.”
She said: “We created this place for my uncle Neil who sadly passed away 16 years ago today, also from cancer (yes cancer!) aged 35”
Kelsey took to Instagram to show she went all out for the special occasion with a visit from Aurelia from Disney Princess Elsa, Cinderella and Rapunzel.
The birthday girl enjoyed singing her favorite songs with the characters before blowing out the candles on her pink castle cake.
Aurelia looked adorable in a pink ruffled dress while wearing silver sandals and a cute bow in her hair.
Love: She continued: “We love coming here to remember him, to honor him, to think about our precious memories with him, so to make this Tom’s space just felt so right.”
Meanwhile, Kelsey looked stunning in a peach ruffled off-the-shoulder dress that suited her daughter, while wearing white wedge heels on her feet.
Kelsey has revealed she will make her late husband’s ashes into ‘special’ jewelery for their two young children.
And now Kelsey says she will gift the meaningful tokens to her children when the time comes, as well as the late singer’s mother Noreen.
She told The Sun: “It will be something really special that the children can have and it will be given to them at a certain point, but I don’t know when yet,” she explained.
RIP: Kelsey revealed she will have her late husband’s ashes made into ‘special’ jewelery for their two young children (pictured in 2021)
Adding: “They’ve lost their father so they need me to be as strong as possible for them right now. I think people are like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe she’s really into this,’ but I really have no choice but to deal with it.”
It comes after Kelsey discussed the kids’ first “difficult” Father’s Day without Tom in a recent heartbreaking Instagram video.
In the clip, the actress revealed that she is wearing her late husband’s t-shirt and believes that he will “glow” us all day long.
She began, “Hi guys. Say hello guys to both of them. We just wanted to chime in and say a huge, huge thank you for all your messages today. We want to thank you.
“Today is going to be a hard day for us as a family but the sun is shining outside, he’s out there shining, isn’t he dad shining on us today.
“I’m wearing his top today because if you’re having a bad day guys, just smile and it’ll make it all better.”
“And it’s chicken pox on his face, he’s got measles, we’re just going to have a lovely day together as a family today.”
“Aurelia has her favorite dress picked out and Bodhi has his superhero…”
In her caption, she wrote: “I had an inbox full of lovely messages before 9am this morning and I can’t tell you how much it helped me put on my best smile and get up this morning.
“Father’s Day is not easy for…
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