Max George has said he didn't watch his latest appearance in new show Scared Of The Dark after he was filmed breaking down in tears over the death of his friend and bandmate Tom Parker. The Wanted star, 34, couldn't hold back his emotions while recalling Tom's tragic death, aged 33, last year.
The late singer, who shot to fame as one-fifth of the pop boyband, died in March 2022 after being diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma. He shared the news of his diagnosis with fans in October 2020 when Kelsey was pregnant with their second child, son Bodhi.
While talking about his best friend Tom with his Scared Of The Dark co-stars, Max recalled the moment he received a call from Tom's wife Kelsey to say he had been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer. "His second [child] was due a week after he got diagnosed," he recalled. "He had glioblastoma, which is an incurable brain cancer, but it was at Stage 4 when they found it."
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In a piece to camera, Max was heard saying: "I was shooting a movie and it was the last day of filing and my phone rang and it was Kelsey and I was like, oh that’s a nice surprise. But it obviously it wasn't and I couldn't...couldn't really get...I couldn't get my head around what she'd just told me. And I don't think I accepted that."
As his Scared Of The Dark co-stars, including Scarlett Moffatt and Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne, listened, Max told them: "Do you know what was lovely, is that people from outside of our group and friends...even they chipped in to help. Ed Sheeran did as well. Yeah, that saved Tom’s life probably for like a year."
Again speaking to camera, he rsaid: "How do you deal with it? There’s no cure for that so you just sort of learn to carry on with your life I guess. But deal with it, definitely not. I don't think I'll ever be okay with it."
Clearly touched by Max's story, Scarlett told him: "How amazing that you had something that makes you feel so sad that it's gone." To which he replied: "One of the last things I said to him was — I thanked him for making my life so much better than what it ever could have been, you know, like that whole journey through being in the band. He was my best friend."
Max then broke down in tears while talking to the camera. "F***," he cried. "I just don’t...I don’t...I don’t want it to be like a burden or a thing with anyone else. But it's hard in there, you know?"
Ahead of Wednesday night's episode of the show, Max tweeted: "Apparently some pretty difficult moments tonight on #ScaredOfTheDark.. Not the place i would ever thought about opening up… But sometimes it takes being in a different environment to let some things out. Btw… how class is Gazza?!!!"
And after it aired, Max admitted he didn't watch as he wrote: "I didn’t watch #ScaredOfTheDark tonight for obvious reasons, but wanted to just thank everyone for such lovely messages. Life is shit sometimes but the world does genuinely have lovely people in it. Ta very much."
After being seen being comforted by former footballer Gazza, Max added on social media: "Also.. it’s amazing what a hug can do. Even in pitch darkness. Thanks again to a beautiful soul that is Paul Gascoigne."
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