Max George has opened up about being 'heartbroken beyond words' over the death of bandmate Tom Parker, who died this week at the age of just 33.
Tom revealed nearly two years ago that he had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour, vowing to fight it all the way. And, just two weeks ago, Tom joined Max and their other Wanted bandmates Nathan Sykes, Jay McGuinness and Siva Kaneswaran on stage for the final few shows of the group's reunion tour.
The last date in Liverpool was a very emotional one for the band and their fans as Tom appeared for the encore, sat on a throne as his bandmates performed Glad You Came and Gold Forever, which soared to the top of the iTunes chart in the wake of Tom's death. After the tour finished, Max paid tribute to Tom telling he 'you did it!' as he celebrated being able to share the stage with him again.
READ MORE : Max George's message to heroic Tom Parker after final Wanted gig
Tom passed away on Wednesday, with wife Kelsey breaking the news and praising Tom for 'fighting until the end.' And now Max has taken to Instagram to pay tribute to Tom, who he first shot to fame alongside when The Wanted landed a number 1 in 2010 with their debut single All Time Low.
Next to a series of pictures of him and Tom, Max wrote: " Tom, my brother, my boy, my band mate, my best bud.. You lit up so many lives all over the world but I can only speak on behalf of mine.
"From the minute I met you, I knew this was gonna be a special chapter in my life. I was right. We did everything together, some amazing things, some outrageous things. I'm so proud of what we achieved as band mates and as brothers.
"I’m also proud that I was there the night you met Kels. I remember saying to you, ‘you like her don’t you?’.. to which you replied, ‘bro, like you wouldn’t believe’. You two really are like peas and carrots."
Max continued: "Thank you for choosing me as your friend. It was an honour from day one. I’m so grateful I was with you until the very end. The courage and dignity I have witnessed over the last few months surpassed the lion I already knew you were.
"The huge hole now left in my life will forever be there, but I know your spirit will live on through your two beautiful babies, your wonderful wife, our music, your fans and in my heart."
Before telling Tom how much he'd miss him, Max added: "I’m heartbroken beyond words right now and I cannot even begin to imagine what the future holds without you, but whatever I do going forward, even on my darkest days, I can always smile and say, ‘I shared the stage with Tom Parker’.
