The widow of The Wanted front man, Tom Parker, said he 'needed' his band to reunite in order to feel 'strength' as his battle with glioblastoma reached its final stages. The singer died in March aged just 33, and was first diagnosed with the deadly brain disease in October 2020 when doctors gave him 12 months to live.
Mum-of-two Kelsey said Tom referred to bandmates Jay McGuinness, Max George, Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran as his 'brothers' and it was hugely important for her late husband for the group to reform. They had previously planned a 10th anniversary comeback tour in 2020 after a six-year hiatus, until the Covid-19 pandemic intervened.
They were then stunned by Tom's devastating news which led to all plans being put on hold indefinitely, reports the Mirror.
Read more: Max George still texts Tom Parker after his death as This Morning admission breaks hearts
Kelsey told Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast: "I think even for him to get through the whole treatment, just everything . . . I think the the band getting back together was was massive for him.
"Tom loved work, he loved music. He needed that band to get back together. I think he needed the boys to be behind him again, to feel that strength from them. Because obviously, they were his brothers."
Tom's diagnosis led to him organising a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, dubbed 'In My Head - The Concert.
It featured stars like Ed Sheeran, Lia Payne, McFly and Becky Hill and raised funds for charities Stand Up To Cancer and The National Brain Appeal. The Wanted were on the bill that night too, but it was a later show that proved to be a defining moment in Tom's life.
The band finally rescheduled their tour for early 2022, starting with dates in Glasgow and Newcastle. And after undergoing three weeks of treatment in Spain, Tom joined the rest of the boys on stage in Bournemouth, much to their fans' amazement.
Last week, meanwhile, Kelsey shared a heartbreaking tribute to Tom on their daughter Aurelia Rose's third birthday. She wrote: "Well my baby girl is 3 and it's been 3 months since we lost Tom - two big milestones.
"3 years with our amazing Rae has absolutely flown by but I can't remember life without her here. 3 months without Tom has felt like a lifetime but yet it feels like only yesterday he was here with me.
"Life is cruel and amazing, hard, yet magical and everything in between. Happy Birthday baby girl, may all your wishes comes true."
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