Tom Parker’s wife raises over £40,000 and counting for charity with fund set up in his memory
"We want to take everyone’s incredible love, support and generosity and turn our grief into something positive and to keep Tom’s memory alive forever."
The wife of the late Tom Parker has now raised over £40,000 and counting for charity just days after setting up the fund in his memory.
Bolton-born singer Tom – 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 had passed away peacefully with his family, loved ones, and bandmates by his side at the age of 33 on 30 March.
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.
“I’m forever proud of you.”
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Tom Parker passed away on 30 March 2022 at the age of 33 / Credit: Tom Parker (via Instragram)
The news of Tom’s passing shook the world, and while countless tributes, memories, and messages of support were shared by famous names and fans of The Wanted on social media in the days following, his wife was keen to begin creating a lasting legacy for the singer to ensure the impact he made during his short 33 years would always be remembered.
Kelsey Parker decided to set up a GoFundMe page in Tom’s name at the weekend, with the aim of “turning our grief into something positive”.
Explaining a little more about what she hopes the fundraiser will go onto achieve, Kelsey wrote on the GoFundMe page: “Our hearts are truly broken, Tom was the centre of our world and we can’t imagine life without him, but one of the biggest sources of comfort over the last two years has been the outpouring of love and support we’ve all received and we can’t thank everyone enough for holding Tom, myself and the children in your thoughts and prayers, for lighting candles and sharing beautiful messages of hope and condolence.
“We want to take everyone’s incredible love, support and generosity and turn our grief into something positive and to keep Tom’s memory alive forever.
“We politely request that instead of gifts and flowers, donations are made to this GoFundMe account with all proceeds eventually going to amazing causes in Tom’s name, to help others in need.”
Kelsey Parker has raised over £40,000 and counting with a fund set up in the memory of her late husband / Credit: Kelsey Parker (via Instagram)
Kelsey’s original target for the fundraiser was set at £5,000.
But within hours of being set up, she had already smashed that target, and now, just four days later, an impressive and extremely-worthy £44,000 has been raised – and it’s a figure that’s still climbing.
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“We simply couldn’t have got through the last two years without the help and support we have received and if we can offer it back to others, that would be the best way to honour Tom,” Kelsey continued.
The GoFundMe page confirms that all funds will be handled by Jennifer Glogiewicz on behalf of Kelsey Parker, but all decisions on where the money will go to will be made by Kelsey, and anyone who contributes will be kept fully-updated as to which causes Kelsey would like to help and where the money will eventually be donated to.
You can donate to Kelsey Parker’s GoFundMe page here.
Carl Froch slams ‘pathetic’ John Fury after bust-up at Darren Till press conference
Danny Jones
Former fighter Carl Froch has branded boxing patriarch John Fury “pathetic” following the chaotic scenes at the recent Darren Till press conference.
‘Big’ John was at the centre of some pre-bout bedlam earlier this week after tempers flared during the presser between his son Tommy Fury and his next opponent, Darren Till.
For anyone who didn’t see it, a reaction from the Fury father following a lengthy foul-mouthed exchange sparked a massive on-stage brawl, requiring both parties to be separated and the face-off cut short.
Offering his thoughts on the incident, the ex-middleweight and multi-time champion called out the 59-year-old for what he now says is just the “usual pathetic childish behaviour from a grown man.”
Carl Froch back in 2010, four years before his retirement.‘Big’ John seeing red at the Fury vs Till press conference.Credit: Pasi (via Wikimedia Commons)/Fight Hub TV (via YouTube screenshot)
Speaking to sports media and betting company, Action Network, Froch said: “Darren Till did have a lot to say and he was very vocal but at the end of the day it’s not about him, it’s about Darren Till and Tommy Fury so why is Big John Fury, the fighting man, getting involved?…
“Has he been sacked by Tyson Fury? Did Tyson tell him to f*****g do one and now he’s with Tommy Fury trying to get some of the limelight? I don’t know but same old s***. Darren Till totally wrote him off.
Froch went on to say of Fury junior – who has flirted with the idea of an exhibition match with the retired British, Super Middleweight, Commonwealth and WBC champ in the past – “For me, I don’t give it any credibility but when he mentions my name and puts my name in the mix, I’m obligated to respond.
“It’s like Jake Paul. He doesn’t like the way I give Jake Paul stick because I’m honest. He’s not a fighter or a pro boxer, he’s a YouTuber, TikTok dancer and content creator […] All of these guys like Jake Paul and ‘Big’ John Fury – when they start talking bull***t, I just tell it how it is, give my honest opinion and sit back to watch the parade go by because they all get upset.”
The 47-year-old also speculated that there is a serious possibility that older brother Tyson has dismissed his dad from his current entourage, at least during media events, noting that he isn’t helping promote fights by “headbutting children at press conferences” as we saw before the Fury vs Usyk fight.
“That kid he headbutted didn’t even look like he could have a shave”, added Froch. “He might’ve been a young man, but he picked on the smallest person there and dropped the headbutt on him. It’s not the kind of behaviour you want to see, it’s bad for boxing.
Offering his final thoughts on the ever-controversial John Fury, Froch signed off by saying: “At the end of the day, he is a guy who wants some attention. He’s a man who has never achieved anything. His son Tyson Fury is obviously very good, he’s a top fighter and we know what he’s all about.”
As for 25-year-old Tommy, he takes on fellow North West fighter Darren Till at the Co-op Live arena early next year. You can find out more HERE.
Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Emily Sergeant -
6th April 2022 
