Tom Parker’s Wanted pal Jay stayed with us during final days – the band will help me raise his kids, reveals Kelsey
TOM PARKER’S precious two young children will be raised with the help of his bandmates from The Wanted, his widow Kelsey reveals today.
In an exclusive interview, she told how Max George, 33, Jay McGuiness, 31, Siva Kaneswaran, 33, and Nathan Sykes, 29, gave Tom constant support until his death five weeks ago, aged just 33, from a brain tumour.
Kelsey said Jay moved into the family home during Tom’s final days to support her and help care for the couple’s daughter Aurelia, two, and son Bodhi, 18 months.
We told yesterday how Kelsey, 32, held her husband’s hand as he died, in what she called a “beautiful moment”.
Today she adds of Tom’s final days: “Jay stayed with us. He was upstairs in the loft room, just so I knew he was there. When I woke up in the mornings I knew I could just get up and go to see Tom at the hospice.
“They’re a massive part of our lives and always have been. They are role models for the kids too, so I want them to come over and have their input in their lives and to tell them stories about their dad.
“They know stories I don’t know. Bodhi’s going to want to know the stories. He is going to ask, ‘What did my dad get up to on the tour bus?’ and he’ll be able to ask them when he’s older. They will always be there for us.”
Tom did all he could to resist his cancer — and help others by raising money and awareness — since his diagnosis in October 2020 after having unexplained seizures.
He went through 30 rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiotherapy sessions, later spending three weeks in Spain for specialist treatment.
‘His love, passion and fight for life’
He returned to the UK at the beginning of March so he could join his bandmates on stage for The Wanted’s reunion UK tour.
The final picture of Kelsey and Tom together shows her planting a tender kiss on his head backstage at London’s 02 Arena following a show there on March 15.
Tom died peacefully on March 30, with Kelsey at his side, after being visited by each of his bandmates. They carried his coffin at his funeral on April 20.
Kelsey plans to have “Wanted Wednesdays” where her children can watch their dad with his bandmates.
She says: “Tom didn’t leave any special messages or notes or anything like that because it did come as a massive shock to us all.
“But our kids are so lucky compared to many others. Yes, they’ve lost their dad — which is awful — but they have so much of him.
“There are so many YouTube videos of him, they can watch him, they could have Wanted Wednesdays and watch him for so many years just from his time with the boys in the band.
“They’ve got his music, all his memorabilia, and then there’s his autobiography coming out this summer.”
Kelsey cannot yet bring herself to watch clips of Tom.
She says: “I find it really, really hard to watch his videos. I had his phone. I was going through it and was like, ‘I can’t do this right now, it’s really tough’. It was too much for me. On Instagram, my whole explore page is just Tom, which is so beautiful but at the same time heartbreaking.
“The fans and the love from everyone, I am absolutely speechless. I think Tom would be speechless.”
Brave Kelsey has already gone back to work at arts school K2K Stars, which she set up with her best friend.
She says: “I’ve got to make sure I’m all right financially. I have to work. Tom was in The Wanted, could I have got away with not having a job? Probably.
“That’s just not me. I’ve always been the girl that’s worked. I went back to work recently and it’s really helping. I love what I do and there’s something lovely about working with children when you’re going through something like this.
“They just see me as their teacher and are happy I’m back. They don’t pity me or worry about what to say.
“It’s been really good for me. I have to get on with everything and be strong for my children. They are Tom’s babies, they are the reason I get up in the morning. He loved them both so much.
“The future is going to be hard but I know he’s always going to be with me. Did I think I was going to be a widow at 32 with two kids? No.
“Did I think this was going to be my life? No. But it is my life now and I’ve got to get on with it, for my kids and for Tom.”
Kelsey met Tom outside a London nightclub when she was 19. It was “love at first sight”. They started dating shortly before Tom found fame with The Wanted, and made it through the “ups and downs” of being in the public eye.
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
She says: “Me and Tom would have a laugh, whatever we did. We were ultimate best friends.
“Tom was quite fiery and if he was not happy with anything, he’d tell you. But then I’m really laid-back, so our relationship always really worked.
“If he went off on one, I’d be like, ‘OK, calm down’.
“I will never forget all our incredible holidays and our honeymoons. We didn’t just have one honeymoon, we had a few.
“We had the best time and would laugh for days.
“Even over these last 18 months, we’ve had a laugh. We’ve done things and tried to make a positive out of a really bad, heart-wrenching situation.
“I’m not angry. I feel so grateful for Tom and the life he got to live. What he did in 33 years was incredible. I feel thankful to have had him in my life.”
While Kelsey enjoyed glitzy red-carpet events with her husband, the “simple things” are what the former actress and singer misses most — watching favourite TV shows, cooking a curry.
Daughter Aurelia talks about her dad every day.
Kelsey says: “Today she got a cup and was like, ‘This is my Daddy’s’.
“Everything is Daddy-related, which is beautiful. She’s snuck into my bed a few times. She’s figured out there’s space in there now. I had her coming in at 3am the other morning.
“Tom would be annoyed if I had them in the bed. He was very much about routine. He was stricter than me. I used to give Bodhi a bottle in the night, then he’d wake up and I’d go to get him a bottle and he’d be like, ‘No, Kelsey we’re not just going to give him a bottle’.
“I’ve started arranging Aurelia’s birthday (her third, in June). It’s good to keep busy but it’s the first family celebration without Tom. Even when he was sick, he never missed a thing. It’s all these firsts I’m going to struggle with. I’ve just got to remind myself of Tom’s love, passion and fight for life.
“But although I am brave and strong I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t have times when it hits me and I really miss him.”
Kelsey is keeping Tom’s ashes “safe” at their home in Petts Wood, Kent, and hopes to commemorate him with a special bench.
She said: “There’s a beautiful memorial garden which would be perfect. I think I’m going to do that. It’ll be somewhere special I can go with the kids and think about Tom.”
A few days after Tom’s death, Kelsey set up a fundraising page in his honour. It already tops £65,000.
Last week The Wanted single Gold Forever, which was played at Tom’s funeral, was re-released to raise cash for the Brain Tumour Charity.
Kelsey says: “It’s incredible, overwhelming. Gold Forever is a struggle for me to listen to. At the funeral I was beside myself because it’s his voice that starts it off.
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“But it’s going to raise a massive amount for the charity. All this stuff will help raise awareness, which Tom was so passionate about. When we did Stand Up For Cancer they were like, ‘This is amazing because men don’t talk about having illnesses’.
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“That’s why we went public. Tom needed to talk about it and I couldn’t be more proud.”
- Find information and support relating to brain tumours at .