British singer Tom Parker, who was a member of the boy band The Wanted, has died at the age of 33, almost two years after he was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, his wife Kelsey announced on Wednesday. 

“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 wrote on Instagram. 

She concluded, “Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end. I’m forever proud of you.”

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Who was Tom Parker?

Born in Lancashire, England, he learned to play the guitar at the age of sixteen before auditioning for The X Factor. He, however, did not get past the first round.

Parker went to Manchester Metropolitan University but dropped out to focus on his singing career. Parker joined a band known as Take That II before joining The Wanted, as a member of which he achieved 10 UK top 10 singles, including Glad You Came, All Time Low, Heart Vacancy, and Lightning, and released 3 albums.

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In 2015, he took part in the UK version of Celebrity Masterchef but was eliminated during the semi-finals.

In February 2016, he replaced Tina Hobley on the Channel 4 show The Jump after she dislocated her elbow. He eventually finished in third place.

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In October 2020, he shared the news of his diagnosis with stage four glioblastoma.

“[The doctors] pulled the curtain around my bed and said, ‘It’s a brain tumour.’ All I could think was, ‘F—–g hell!’ I was in shock,” he recalled. “It’s stage four glioblastoma and they’ve said it’s terminal. It was a lot to deal with by myself. I still haven’t processed it,” he told Britain’s OK! Magazine.