Touching tributes have been pouring in on social media after the news broke yesterday that Tom Parker had tragically died at the age of 33.
The Bolton-born singer – who was known for being one fifth of the popular British boyband, The Wanted, since 2009 – was diagnosed with an inoperable terminal brain tumour known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) back in October 2020, and had since been undergoing a number of treatments in an attempt to prolong his life.
But it was sadly confirmed that he passed away peacefully with his family, loved ones, and bandmates by his side yesterday.
Tom leaves behind his wife Kelsey, and two children – Aurelia, two, and Bodhi, one.
His devastating passing was first announced by his wife Kelsey on Instagram, who said in an emotional tribute: “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. Thank you to everyone who has supported in his care throughout, he fought until the very end.
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“I’m forever proud of you.”
Tom was diagnosed with a terminal inoperable brain tumour known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) back in October 2020 / Credit: Instagram (@tomparkerofficial)
The Wanted also shared an emotional group tribute on their Instagram account yesterday, which read: “Max, Jay, Siva, Nathan and 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.”
His bandmate Siva Kaneswaran also shared a personal tribute to Tom on his Instagram, writing: “Hey Tom, hope you’re having a blast up there. I am so grateful that I had a 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.”
Tom Parker alongside his bandmates in The Wanted / Credit: The Wanted
Aside from tributes paid by family members and bandmates, the news of Tom’s passing shook the world and countless tributes, memories, and messages of support has since been shared by countless famous names and fans of The Wanted on social media.
Fellow British boyband McFly took to Twitter to share a tribute to Tom, saying he was “always so much fun to be around”, as did singer Liam Payne from One Direction.
We are so saddened to hear of the passing of our friend Tom Parker. Tom was always so much fun to be around & we have amazing memories of touring & playing shows with The Wanted. The thoughts of the entire McFly family are with his wife & children, his family, friends & bandmates pic.twitter.com/XGRdAJZA6G
I'm heartbroken to hear about Tom. He was so full of life and humour, and the memories I have of him with stay with me forever. Sending my thoughts out to his family and his brothers in The Wanted ❤️
Connor Ball from boyband The Vamps said on Twitter: “33 is far too young, so much sadness, Rest in peace Tom Parker.”
TV presenter Rylan Clark shared a touching tribute 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.”
“Tom Parker, rest in peace my love goes out to all your family and all your friends… Your bravery, your fight and your spirit will never be forgotten,” Martin Kemp said in a Twitter tribute.
Adam Pitts from pop band Lawson said on Twitter: “One of the bravest, most inspirational people I have ever had the joy of knowing. Your attitude ever since your diagnosis has inspired people all around the world and you have raised so much money to help battle this horrible disease.”
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“We all love you Tom Parker,” singer Hrvy said on Twitter.
Tom Parker, rest in peace my love goes out to all your family and all your friends.. your bravery, your fight and your spirit will never be forgotten
The passing of Tom Parker has saddened us greatly. His fight was an inspiration and he changed the lives of everyone he came into contact with. Long may he be remembered for that. With love to all his family and close friends.
Tributes also came flooding in from The Wanted’s fans from across the globe.
One devastated fan said on Twitter: “RIP Tom Parker. My heart majorly goes out to his beautiful wife and children. Never take a single day for granted and never wait to tell somebody you love and care about them. Heartbreaking.”
Another fan wrote: “I saw tom parker literally two weeks ago on stage at The Wanted tour. My last ever memory of him will be seeing him able to spend time doing what he loved with his band mates and fans, where he was happy, and that will stay in my heart forever. I can’t believe this.”
“Tom Parker’s last gift to everyone was to bring the dudes back together so they could see how loved and missed they were,” another fan’s tribute read on Twitter.
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“He is the light that’ll never fade, and will be absolutely missed.”
Another shocked fan wrote on Twitter: “Tom Parker and the boys raised me, half my life has been following and loving them. I don’t have the words and never will to explain how much I’ll miss him and love him always. A rockstar from the very beginning and forever and ever.”
i saw tom parker literally two weeks ago on stage at the wanted tour. my last ever memory of him will be seeing him able to spend time doing what he loved with his band mates and fans, where he was happy, & that will stay in my heart forever. i can’t believe this 💔
Tom was first diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) back in October 2020.
Announcing the devastating diagnosis in a social media statement at the time, he said: “There’s no easy way to say this but I’ve sadly been diagnosed with a brain tumour and I’m already undergoing treatment.
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“We decided, after a lot of thought, that rather than hiding away and trying to keep it a secret, we would do one interview where we could lay out all the details and let everyone know the facts in our own way.
“We are all absolutely devastated but we are gonna fight this all the way.”
Tom Parker with his wife Kelsey, and their two children Aurelia and Bodhi / Credit: Channel 4
Following on from his diagnosis, Tom shared that he had been undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as receiving private treatment on top of NHS care, in best efforts to prolong his life.
In recent months, Tom had bravely shared his journey in a TV special for Stand Up To Cancer, and had also spoken out during an appearance on a new podcast saying that a “massive improvement” is needed in treatment for brain tumours, and that a lack of research funding is part of the issue.
Most recently, Tom underwent a treatment programme in Spain that forced him to miss the first few dates of The Wanted’s recent tour, but he made it out on stage for one last time when The Wanted headlined Manchester’s AO Arena just two weeks ago on 13 March 2022.
Featured Image – ITV
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The nominees for the Critics’ Choice award at the 2026 BRITs in Manchester have been revealed
Danny Jones
With the upcoming BRITs ceremony coming to Manchester, we’re more all over the nominations than ever, especially now that the Critics’ Choice nominees for 2026 have been confirmed.
2023 was the annual Chanel ‘Metiers D’Art’ show, 2024 was the MTV EMAs, and next summer will see the BRITs; gosh, Manchester really is in vogue, isn’t it?
Commenting on the nomination, he told the BRITs: “Ya beauty! Tapadh leibh [‘thank you’ in Gaelic] for recognising my work for this award, you legends! Even though I’m Scottish and Irish before I’m British, I appreciate the BRITs critics for this recognition.
“I really care about and believe in this music, and it makes my world brighter every time it reaches someone else. Hopefully, this nomination means some more beautiful people might find something in this wee album. ‘Mon the gays!”
Rose Gray
Next up in the nods is London’s Rose Gray – a solo star who has developed a cult following thanks to songs like ‘ATTENTION!’, ‘Wet & Wild’, ‘Angel of Satisfaction’ and more.
Also the long-time partner and childhood sweetheart of Babygirl, Iron Claw and The King’s Man actor, Harris Dickinson, Gray has been riding a particular wave of popularity over the past year or so, especially after the release of her A Little Louder, Please (Deluxe) double album this past October.
She said in a statement: “I’m so excited for this nomination! This moment feels like a special reminder of how far this journey has carried me and what a crazy year it’s been. One year ago, I was manifesting so hard for my album to travel, to find its people, to really get its light. And it did. Releasing this record has genuinely changed my life…”
Lastly, in at number three is the 20-year-old singer-songwriter, Sienna Spiro, whose soulful voice sounds like one with much more life experience and years of emotion under its belt; it’s no wonder that she’s resonated with multiple generations, let alone been recognised by the panel.
With big theatrical ballads like ‘Die On This Hill’, ‘You Stole The Show’, as well as heavily-streamed songs like ‘MAYBE.’, ‘BACK TO BLONDE’ and more in her impressive and fast-growing discography, we know she’ll go far even if she doesn’t win – you can bank on that.
She added: “So beyond honoured and grateful to be nominated for this year’s Critics’ Choice BRIT Award! To think I started releasing music last year, I would never have expected this at all. Thank you so much!”
Having looked again at the list of people who’ve been both shortlisted and those who have gone on to win it, trust us, you’ll want to be paying attention to this one…
For context:
Past BRITs Critics’ Choice / Rising Star winners and nominees
2008 – Adele (Duffy, Foals)
2009 – Florence + The Machine (Little Boots, White Lies)
2010 – Ellie Goulding (Delphic, Marina and the Diamonds)
2011 – Jessie J (James Blake, The Vaccines)
2012 – Emeli Sandé (Michael Kiwanuka, Maverick Sabre)
So yeah, it’s fair to say that anyone even in the running for this accolade tends to go on to do even more bigger and better things than they already have.
Tickets to be at the 2026 BRIT Awards at Co-op Live in person for whoever picks up the Critics’ Choice gong, as well as all the other categories, are live now.
Featured Images — Audio North/Press shots (supplied)
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The best restaurant in the UK has been named, and it’s just an hour from Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The top 100 restaurants in the UK have just been named, and the North West has come out fighting, taking three of the top 10 spots including the number one position.
Harden’s Top 100 Best UK Restaurants 2026 has named Moor Hall, a three-Michelin star restaurant less than an hour from Manchester, as the best place to eat in the entire UK.
And hot on its heels is another big name from the North West, fellow three-Michelin star restaurant L’Enclume, up in village of Cartmel, which placed second.
Also in the top 10 is a Manchester newcomer, Skof, which launched in the city centre last year with chef Tom Barnes at the helm.
Skof has skipped ahead of Mana, which until recently was the only restaurant in Greater Manchester to hold a Michelin Star, and which placed 11th.
The Harden’s Best UK Restaurants 2026 list has found that the North West has the most entries of any region outside London, with 12 restaurants in the top 100.
Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall in West Lancashire has rocketed into the top spot from last year’s ranking at number 74, with diners praising it as being ‘superb from beginning to end’.
On our recent visit, we declared Moor Hall ‘hospitality on an unparalleled level’.
Moor Hall has been named the best restaurant in the UK. Credit: The Manc Group
Peter Harden, co-founder of Harden’s, comments: “Moor Hall has been a recurring name in the Harden’s Top 100 UK Restaurant’s list for many years now, as has runner-up L’Enclume which was in the top spot a couple of years ago.
“In a Top 100 where restaurants are very much at the mercy of diner reports from the first six months of the year, the consistent performance from these two venues is a testament to the high quality of the food, service and location.
“It’s wonderful to see Mark and his talented team reach this year’s pole position and, whilst diners who took part in our national survey did often flag the higher price point, it appears to be a venue regarded as well worth it, albeit for a rare treat.”
Chef-patron of Moor Hall, Mark Birchall adds: “I’m honoured that Moor Hall has been awarded the No. 1 spot in this year’s Harden’s Top 100 UK Restaurants list. This has already been a landmark year for us, and I’m delighted to see the team’s dedication recognised once again.
“Our success is driven by the talent, consistency and commitment of everyone who contributes to the experience at Moor Hall. It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of their hard work and passion, and we’re proud to share this achievement with everyone who dines with us.”
Tom Barnes and the Skof team outside the restaurant. Credit: Cristian Barnett.
Reflecting on this year’s findings, Peter Harden added: “It’s understandable that over the last 12 months the hospitality industry has been toiling away under a cloud of gloomsterism. Hit by food inflation, rising wages, relentless rent increases and soaring utilities – some long-term operators say that 2025 is the toughest year they can recall.
“However, what our survey results and data-crunching from across the sector shows is the remarkable resilience at work from those in the trade – particularly in the North West. Our number of entries remains very steady, and strong newcomers are emerging in each area of a quality that is probably better than ever.
“What is challenging for suppliers can be good for consumers. Customer expectations are so high now, restaurants have to work ever-harder to cut through and we’re seeing a number of new openings from across the UK going straight into the Top 100 – or, in Skof’s case, the Top 10!
“This really is testament to the rigorous standards, hard work and innovation being put in by front and back of house teams who are impressively determined to find a way in difficult circumstances and continue to raise the bar to bring diners high quality experiences.”
Emily Sergeant -
31st March 2022 
