Bandmates, celebrities, and fans express grief and admiration for the late singer
The members of The Wanted have led a wave of tributes to their late bandmate, Tom Parker, following his tragic death on Wednesday. Max, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, and Nathan Sykes shared their sorrow and honoured the singer's legacy with heartfelt messages on social media.
Accompanying a photo of Tom, the group described him as an "amazing husband and father," who they considered a "brother." Their joint statement, shared on Instagram, read: "Max, Jay, Siva, Nathan, and the whole Wanted family are devastated by the tragic and premature loss of our bandmate Tom Parker. He passed away peacefully today at lunchtime, surrounded by his family and bandmates."
The statement continued, "Tom was an amazing husband to Kelsey and a loving father to Aurelia and Bodhi. He was our brother, and words cannot express the grief and sadness we feel. Always and forever in our hearts."
Parker had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour in 2020 and had undergone extensive treatment, including six rounds of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy. In recent months, he had sought private hospital care in Spain.
Social media was filled with outpourings of love from friends and celebrities. Siva Kaneswaran, in a personal tribute to his bandmate, shared his feelings on Instagram: "Hey Tom, hope you're having a blast up there. I’m so grateful I had the chance to witness your true courage. It has been a pleasure of my life, Tommy Boy. Thank you for letting us see you light up the world. Talk to you soon and see you later. Love you brother x."
Among other tributes, Ed Sheeran expressed his sorrow, writing: “So sad to hear of Tom’s passing. Thoughts and love are with Kelsey, his children, and his family. Very sad day, what a lovely guy.”
TV presenter Rylan Clark also shared his condolences on Twitter: "I’ve just seen the news about Tom, and that’s absolutely gutting. He was such a good’un. So sad to hear. Sending my love to Kelsey and the kids. Awful news x #RipTom x."
X-Factor winner Joe McElderry tweeted, "So very very sad 😢 life can be cruel! My thoughts to his family and friends."
Howard Donald from Take That shared his sympathy as well: "So young and so sad. RIP @TomParker from @thewanted. Strength and love to his family."
Union J's JJ Hamblett described Tom as "an incredible artist and real family man," saying, "Just seen the news… I am speechless!!! Tom Parker was such a nice guy, an incredible artist, and a real family man! Such a cruel, cruel world… RIP Tom… you will be missed but never, never forgotten."
Tom Parker’s passing has left a deep void in the hearts of his loved ones, fans, and fellow artists, who continue to remember his courage, kindness, and immense talent.
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The first day’s journey was through the pink fields