Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey recalls the heartbreaking moment she held his hand as he died

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Tom Parker‘s widow Kelsey has detailed how she held her husband’s hand as he died last month, adding: ‘It was still beautiful until the very end.’

The Wanted singer Tom died aged 33 following a battle with brain cancer after he was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in October 2020, and was given just 12 months to live by doctors.

He passed away while surrounded by family and his fellow bandmates as he listened to the Oasis song Live Forever, with Kelsey telling The Sun on Sunday she was the last person by his side: ‘It was just us and there was so much love in that room.’

Mother-of-two Kelsey insisted Tom was in no pain as he died and said she’d told their two-year-old daughter Aurelia that she was going to make sure angels were looking after her father.

While she fell in love with Tom as a teenager before he rose to fame with The Wanted, she says her best days with him were those shortly before his death.

The boyband star spent his last days in St Christopher’s Hospice in South London and Kelsey was there by his side throughout.

She said of the time before he died: ‘I got into bed with him. We were in bed together for two hours, I just wanted that time with him. I didn’t want anyone coming in. We needed that time together to talk.’

Kelsey insisted even the days at the hospice with Tom were ‘romantic’, adding that he ‘absolutely worshipped the ground I walked on’.

She said he was ‘still trying to figure a way out’ of his illness a week after he arrived at the hospice.  

‘I said, “You know Tom, I will be OK, the kids will be OK. I will make sure that everything you want them to know, the things that you’ve taught me over the years, I promise to teach them it all.”

‘He said, “I know you’re going to be OK.” He then took off his wedding ring and put it on my finger.’

Kelsey said she thought Tom knew the end of his life was approaching but he still had ‘fight’ in him.  

In September 2021, 11 months on from his diagnosis, Tom sang at the Stand Up 2 Cancer show at the Royal Albert Hall and even embarked on a Greatest Hits tour with his bandmates when the tumour was confirmed as ‘stable’ in November.

But Tom’s condition deteriorated rapidly once the tour came to an end earlier this year.

The tragic news of his death was confirmed by Kelsey, who he has left behind along with their two children, Aurelia, two, and Bodhi, one.

Kelsey and Tom were last seen in public together at the London 02 Arena on March 15 where Tom performed with his The Wanted bandmates Max George, 33, Jay McGuinness, 31, Siva Kaneswaran, 33, and 29-year-old Nathan Sykes.

She was spotted tenderly kissing him on the head before he took to the stage with his group.

Kelsey said she was ‘so proud’ Tom chose to go on tour again but said she noticed something different about him after that performance, putting it down to exhaustion at first.

She said he went ‘downhill’ from there and wanted to go into the hospice while Kelsey would have preferred him to stay at home.

Kelsey claims Tom didn’t want to put his loved ones through any more pain so chose to seek medical help.

Of the day he died, Kelsey said the music in his room was not turned off, describing it as his ‘life’ and ‘passion’.

She said how she’d told Tom to give her signs after he died and she went to sit outside and cry after he passed, only to look up and see a feather fall from the sky.

Kelsey went on to say she’s been honest with her children about everything that’s happened but found telling them that their father had died extremely ‘tough’.

Tom’s funeral took place on April 20 as Champagne Supernova by Oasis played in the street while Tom’s bandmates carried his coffin.

She insists Tom would have loved his funeral, adding that he had no clue about just how many hearts he’d touched during his life.

Kelsey concluded by insisting she’ll continue to look for the positives in life and will be on the watch for signs from Tom.  

After his death last month, Kelsey said in a statement: ‘It is with the heaviest of hearts that we confirm Tom passed away peacefully earlier today with all of his family by his side.

‘Our hearts are broken. Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without his infectious smile and energetic presence.

‘We are truly thankful for the outpouring of love and support and ask that we all unite to ensure Tom’s light continues to shine for his beautiful children.’

She went on to thank everyone who has cared for Tom during his illness, adding that he fought the disease until the very end.

A statement posted on the band’s official Instagram account read: ‘The whole Wanted family are devastated by the tragic and premature loss of our bandmate Tom Parker, who passed away peacefully at lunchtime today surrounded by his family and his band mates.  

‘Tom was an amazing husband to Kelsey, and father to Aurelia and Bodhi. He was our brother, words can’t express the loss and sadness we feel. Always and forever in our hearts.’

Kelsey reposted a string of tributes from friends on her Instagram Stories in the hours after her husband’s death, including many which referred to the devoted couple as ‘soulmates.’

She commented on a number of the reposts including one from actress Michelle Keegan, who was previously engaged to Tom’s bandmate Max George.  

Michelle wrote that she was ‘absolutely heartbroken for Kelsey,’ adding that it ‘was an honour to witness first hand their love, they really are the true definition of soul mates.’ Kelsey wrote in reply: ‘Love you. You knew how our love was so pure and honest, soul mates until the end’.

On another post shared by a friend about the cheeky voice notes Tom would leave his loved ones, Kelsey wrote: ‘This is Tom Parker everyone. He changed so many lives in such a small amount of time. Tom Parker I f**king love you. Such a legend. Just the fact that he would send messages like this… I mean can you imagine the messages I got.’  

Kelsey broke down in tears after paying tribute to her ‘soulmate’ at the popstar’s funeral in south-east London earlier this month, saying: ‘If love alone could have saved you, you would have lived forever’.

Before the service, The Wanted star’s bandmates were pictured carrying the star’s black coffin adorned with lilies into the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church in Petts Wood. 

Kelsey, whom he married in 2018, broke down as she left the service and kissed Tom’s coffin, after earlier leading the funeral procession of a horse and carriage through the streets of the couple’s local community.  

A pre-recorded message from Kelsey was played at his funeral service within which she shared anecdotes about how the pair first met at a nightclub before he shot to fame with The Wanted, adding: ‘From that moment I told everyone I wanted to marry Tom Parker.’

The congregation erupted into laughter as she said: ‘Tom told me he was going to be famous and wouldn’t have time for a girlfriend, but he wouldn’t leave me alone.

‘I will treasure every memory because life with you was never dull. You were always coming up with songs, new game shows and we all know how much you loved an invention – I bet you were gutted you never made it on Dragons’ Den.  

‘Marrying you was the best day of my life… soulmates, that’s what we are,’ she said, ending the speech by telling Tom: ‘If love alone could have saved you, you would have lived forever.’