Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey has shared a heartfelt post as she prepares for a third Christmas since his tragic death – while his former The Wanted bandmate Max George spends the season in hospital undergoing heart surgery.
Kelsey and Tom, who died in March 2022 after a battle with brain cancer aged just 33, shared daughter Aurelia, five, and four-year-old son Bodhi.
Taking to Instagram she posted a slew of snaps of the late singer and said that while Christmas for the family is filled with s’o much love and joy’ she feels his ‘absence in everything’.
Kelsey wrote: ‘This will be our third Christmas without Tom, and while the holidays are filled with so much love and joy, they also bring moments of deep sadness’
‘Watching the kids excitement reminds me of how much he loved this time of year… and I feel his absence in everything we do’.
She continued: ‘But we find strength in our memories! In each other, and in creating new traditions while keeping Tom’s spirit alive. To anyone navigating grief during the holidays, you’re stronger than you know’.
Tom Parker ‘s widow Kelsey has shared a heartfelt post and a slew of throwback snaps as she prepares for a third Christmas since his tragic death (pictured 2020)
Kelsey and Tom, who died in March 2022 after a battle with brain cancer aged just 33, shared daughter Aurelia, five, and four-year-old son Bodhi (pictured earlier this month)
Meanwhile his bandmate The Wanted bandmate Max George will be spending the season in hospital undergoing heart surgery
Max revealed on Thursday that he would be spending Christmas in hospital to undergo heart surgery.
The Strictly star, 36, who has battled alcoholism previously, admitted he is ‘very lucky that this was caught when it was’ as he shared the shocking health scare.
Max hasn’t disclosed what condition he is suffering with.
He wrote: ‘Hey everyone, Yesterday I felt really unwell and was taken in to hospital. Unfortunately after some tests they’ve found that I have some issues with my heart.
‘I have a lot more tests to determine the extent of the problems and what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet.
‘It’s gonna be a difficult few weeks / months… and Christmas in a hospital bed wasn’t exactly what I had planned! But, as always, I’m surrounded with love and support by my wonderful partner Maisie [Smith], her family, my family and friends.. and I’m 100% in the best place.
‘Although this is a huge shock and no doubt a set back, it’s something I’ll take on with all I’ve got! I count myself very lucky that this was caught when it was.
‘Apologies if I bore you with updates in the coming weeks..I’ve probably got a month in a bed and there’s not THAT much to do!
Taking to Instagram she shared a slew of snaps of the late singer in happier times
One snap showed him holding their baby daughter beaming
Kelsey also planted a kiss on Tom’s cheek in another snowy snap
She said: that while Christmas for the family is ‘filled with so much love and joy’ she feels his ‘absence in everything’.
She wrote: ‘ This will be our third Christmas without Tom, and while the holidays are filled with so much love and joy, they also bring moments of deep sadness’
‘Let’s do this! Much love, Max x’
Shortly after his announcement, Max posted a light-hearted jibe from his hospital bed about Manchester City loss in Wednesday night’s football game.
Lying in bed with a heart monitor across his chest, he jokied: ‘So I think they are officially trying to kill me off… come on boys.’
Max has been open about his battle with binge drinking and alcoholism over the years, previously admitting he drank ’10 pints and three bottles of wine in one night’.
Last year, the singer revealed he used alcohol to ‘adapt’ to the spotlight and to help ease his anxiety during his ‘lowest ever point.’
He referenced one incident in which he consumed 10 pints and three bottles of wine in one night while out celebrating his birthday.
The binge contained roughly 38 units of alcohol. The NHS advises that men and women don’t consume more than 14 units across the space of a week.
Speaking about his drinking on Channel 4’s Scared Of The Dark, he said: ‘I would always be p***ed before we performed. I struggled to adapt so I used to drink to make myself feel like it didn’t bother me.
‘It’s quite hard sometimes to differentiate between the anxiety and depression but mine was certainly more the anxiety side which started when the boys got to number one with All Time Low.’
Referencing his birthday binge session, he confessed: ‘I was ill for a week. The doctor looked at my liver and said my liver count was pretty low, I’m not messing with my liver. So I stopped.’
Max revealed on Thursday that he would be spending Christmas in hospital to undergo heart surgery
He admitted he is ‘very lucky that this was caught when it was’ as he shared the shocking health update from hospital, showing a heart monitor across his chest
The Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, Tom, Max and Jay McGuiness pictured in 2021
He added that he was also inspired to stop drinking after learning of late bandmate Tom’s stage four glioblastoma diagnosis.
Breaking down in tears, he confessed to Paul: ‘How do you deal with it? There’s no cure for that so you just sort of learn to carry on with your life I guess. But deal with it, definitely not.
‘I don’t—I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with it you know. One of the last things I said to him was— I thanked him for making my life so much better than what it ever could have been, you know, like that whole journey through being in the band.
‘He was my best friend. F**k. I just don’t want it to be like a burden or a thing with anyone else.’
Max previously revealed that sobriety has made life clearer, despite leaving him ‘really bored at weekends’.
He said in March last year: ‘I haven’t drunk in 18 months, everyone says “I bet you feel well better don’t you?”
‘No, I just feel really bored at weekends! Just grim as usual through the week. It has been good, it’s easier to keep fit… so yeah, everything’s pretty clear now.’
The Wanted released a statement in January 2014 to announce they were taking time apart to ‘pursue personal endeavours’.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s drinking, call Drinkline for free on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).
