Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey made a heartbreaking confession while reflecting on her life two years after The Wanted star’s death.
Tom died aged 33 in March 2022 following an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer.
In hope of finding happiness again, Kelsey embarked on a new relationship with Electrician Sean Boggans eight months after Tom’s death, but later announced they had split in December 2023.
In a new interview with MailOnline, Kelsey, who has Aurelia and Bodhi with the late singer, admitted she is struggling with the ‘loneliness’.
Kelsey said: ‘If Tom was alive he would say, “Kelsey is someone who doesn’t like to be on her own.” I don’t like being on my own and, I’m back to being on my own in the evenings.
‘My kids go to bed at like six and I spend the rest of the night on my own. I am lonely. I don’t know how people can judge and would rather see me sad and lonely on my own than actually have an ounce of happiness.’
Tom Parker ‘s widow Kelsey made a heartbreaking confession while reflecting on her life two years after The Wanted star’s death
Tom died aged 33 in March 2022 following an 18-month battle with stage four glioblastoma brain cancer
It comes after Kelsey revealed she had come to the ‘painful’ decision to take off her wedding rings after months of ‘torturing herself’.
And in December, Kelsey admitted that while she was no longer with Sean, she hoped ‘to find love again one day.’
Speaking on the scrutiny she faced during her relationship with Sean, Kelsey said: ‘It was so tough because ultimately, I didn’t intend on meeting anyone, that just happened.
‘I’m a big believer now of seeing the universe and that it brings you people. Sean was amazing and I needed him at that moment in time. He was amazing for me because he gave me what my family couldn’t.
‘It’s not worked out for us, but I definitely think that Sean came into my life for a reason.’
She added: ‘I just don’t know who people are to judge. Walk a day in my shoes and then you can pass judgment, but until then please don’t pass judgment on me and my life.’
Kelsey and Tom tied the knot in a romantic ceremony in the grounds of Ridge Farm in Surrey in 2018, with two of his bandmates acting as ushers.
Their daughter, Aurelia Rose, was born in 2019, and they welcomed their son, Bodhi, in October 2020.
In a new interview with MailOnline, Kelsey, who has Aurelia and Bodhi with the late star, admitted she is struggling with the ‘loneliness’
Eight months after his death, Kelsey embarked on a new relationship with Electrician Sean Boggans, but announced they had split in December 2023
Kelsey explained: ‘My kids go to bed at like six and I spend the rest of the night on my own. I am lonely. I don’t know how people can judge and would rather see me sad and lonely on my own than actually have an ounce of happiness’
Kelsey often speaks about her sweet love story with ‘soul mate’ Tom, and hopes she will find happiness again one day.
The star said: ‘I was 32 when Tom died. Some people find their first relationship at 32. They’ve not even had kids. I was fortunate that I met Tom at 19 and had the most magical marriage and I found my soul mate.
‘But that’s ended for me. So what do people actually want? I just think there’s so much judgment on women widows that we’re not allowed to meet anyone. But the male widow is allowed to go and meet anyone and move on. I just think there’s so much stigma and negativity towards women who have lost their partners.’
Tom was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October 2020, and was given just 12 months to live by doctors.
In September 2021, 11 months on from the diagnosis, he sang at the Stand Up 2 Cancer show at the Royal Albert Hall and even embarked on a Greatest Hits tour with his The Wanted bandmates – Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes – when the tumour was confirmed as ‘stable’ in November.
But a close family friend later revealed that Tom’s condition deteriorated rapidly once the tour came to an end.
Kelsey said she is keeping his memory alive by talking about Tom every day to their two children, Aurelia, four, and Bodhi, three.
She told MailOnline: ‘We talk about Tom every day. It’s almost like he’s still here. Obviously he’s not a physical being, but he’s here with us.’
Throughout his adult years Tom was instantly recognisable to many teenager and young people thanks to the success of his band.
Kelsey said: ‘I was 32 when Tom died. Some people find their first relationship at 32. They’ve not even had kids. I was fortunate that I met Tom at 19 and had the most magical marriage and I found my soul mate.’
Kelsey said she is keeping his memory alive by talking about Tom every day to their two children, Aurelia, four, and Bodhi, three
Tom was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October 2020, and was given just 12 months to live by doctors
A close family friend later revealed that Tom’s condition deteriorated rapidly once the tour came to an end in 2022
The Wanted released their first album in October 2010, which reached number four in the UK Albums Chart and created three UK top 20 singles.
Their later singles released in 2012 helped the band find success across the pond in the United States and Canada, with their hit Glad You Came becoming the highest American chart entry by a British boy band at that time.
Speaking on if Aurelia and Bodhi will follow in their fathers footsteps and have a showbiz career, Kelsey said: ‘I do feel like it is in their blood. Aurelia just gets up and sings, and she’s got a really good voice!
‘And she just did a film with Anthony Hopkins. She had a little cameo in One Life, so they are following in his footsteps already.’
Kelsey has released a book, With And Without You, which shares her experience on grief, being a widow and motherhood.
When discussing the writing process, Kelsey explained: ‘It’s massive therapy for me. I mean, I’ve not been to a therapist, so it was massively therapeutic for me to do it, and he sent us signs along the way when we were writing.
‘It’s been so good for me to get all my thoughts and everything down on paper, and also for the children to then have something for when they get older to reflect on and see where I was at that moment in time.
‘As time goes on, your thoughts change, whereas the book is so raw and real because I started it just after Tom passed, so it’s a lived experience.’
For the second year running, Kelsey will host the the Tom Parker Charity Football Match at Bromley Football Club in an attempt to raise funds for research on Tom’s cancer
In 2023, the match took place on Father’s Day, and she was delighted to announce that a second one will be taking place on this year’s Father’s Day – June 16
Kelsey has released a book, With And Without You, which shares her experience on grief, being a widow and motherhood
Kelsey recently announced that for the second year running, she will host the the Tom Parker Charity Football Match at Bromley Football Club in an attempt to tackle the lack of funding given to research for the killer disease.
She hopes the event, which takes place on June 16, can help her two young children ‘remember and celebrate’ their dad, as she doesn’t want them to ‘feel sadness’.
100% of the proceeds raised from the game will be donated to brain tumour charity Ahead of The Game – which helps fund life saving treatment and support affected families.
The charity invests in cancer sufferers and their families providing rehabilitation, mental and emotional support as well as financial help.
Kelsey Parker: With or Without You, published by Mirror Books, is now on sale in paperback, priced £9.99.
