Tom Parker's widow Kelsey has shared a heartbreaking post as she prepares for a third Christmas without him.
The singer, best known as a member of the boy band The Wanted, tragically died at the age of 33 in March 2022 following a battle with brain cancer. He left behind Kelsey and their two children, five-year-old daughter Aurelia and four-year-old son Bodhi.
Now Kelsey, 34, said she can "feel his absence" in everything the family does, especially during the Christmas holidays, which were a time of the year Tom loved. In a moving post on social media, Kelsey shared a message of support to anyone navigating grief during this period.
Kelsey posted photos of her, Tom and their children, including one in which they hold and kiss their daughter, another of Aurelia playing with her dad, and another of the family posing in front of Christmas tree. The post also included images of Tom and Kelsey kissing, one of them posing while skiing and another of them catching a train with their family.
The mum-of-two wrote: "This will be our third Christmas without Tom, and while the holidays are filled with so much love and joy, they also bring moments of deep sadness. Watching the kids excitement reminds me of how much he loved this time of year... and I feel his absence in everything we do.
"But we find strength in our memories! In each other, and in creating new traditions while keeping Tom's spirit alive. To anyone navigating grief during the holidays, you're stronger than you know." Fans shared their support for Kelsey in the comment section as one wrote: "My third without my mum, sending love to you and those darlings." Another added: "You are an amazing Mother. Sending you so much love x." One more commented: "My 3rd Christmas without my husband too. It's tough, alright."
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Kelsey Parker / SWNS)Image:
David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)In September, Kelsey went public with her new boyfriend, tree surgeon Will, whom she met on a night out through mutual friends. She said she believes her husband Tom "sprinkled some magic" on their romance and meant for them to meet. Speaking about Will on an episode of her podcast Mum's The Word, which she co-hosts with Georgia Jones, Kelsey said Will was "bringing a male energy" to the house, which the kids love.
Revealing they recently went on a family holiday together, Kelsey said: "He's used to us as a family now. He brings happiness into our house – a different sort of happiness. Obviously, when it was the three of us we were happy, but now he's bringing that something else in."
And Kelsey said she thinks it was Tom who sent Will to her so she wouldn't be alone. In an interview back in June, she said she knows Tom will "send the right man for her". She said: "When it's meant to be, it'll be, and that person will be sent by Tom, I reckon. He's picking them for me."
Before Will, she dated her ex Sean and even though it didn't work out, she said: "I think he [Tom] sent Sean for a reason. Sean was what I needed at the time and he was wonderful. I'll never say a bad word about him." Even though she has moved on – with the blessing of Tom's family – the mum-of-two recently told ITV's Lorraine it doesn't mean he has been forgotten.
She explained: "Tom is so alive in our house and we speak to him every day. For my children, they are still babies and they are still processing it every day, so these conversations are never going to go away and we are still dealing with the conversation." Kelsey admitted feeling "lonely" before finding love again.
She went on to say: "It's about finding happiness - and with friends and family there is only so much they can do. It's lovely to have someone to offload to. I'm 34 now, I was so lonely and just wanted someone, and now I've met someone." She added: "What I've learnt is there is no wrong or right way to grieve. We all talk about when is it the right time to move on and I just don't think there is a right time. I never thought at the age of 32 with two young children that I would have been widowed."
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