Tom Parker's widow Kelsey has revealed The Wanted star 'needed' his band to reunite in order to feel 'strength' as his battle with glioblastoma reached its final stages.
The singer, who passed away in March aged just 33, was first diagnosed with the deadly disease in October 2020 when doctors gave him 12 months to live.
Mother-of-two Kelsey said it was hugely important for her late husband to reform with bandmates Jay McGuiness, Max George, Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran - who he referred to as his 'brothers'.
The group had previously planned a 10th anniversary comeback tour to take place in 2020 after a six-year hiatus, until the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered the idea.
They were then rocked by Tom's devastating news, which led to all plans being put on hold indefinitely.
Kelsey told Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast: "I think even for him to get through the whole treatment, just everything... I think the the band getting back together was was massive for him.
"Tom loved work, he loved music. He needed that band to get back together. I think he needed the boys to be behind him again, to feel that strength from them. Because obviously, they were his brothers."
Tom's diagnosis led to him organising a concert at the Royal Albert Hall, aptly dubbed 'In My Head - The Concert.
The event featured such stars as Ed Sheeran, Liam Payne, McFly and Becky Hill raised funds for charities Stand Up To Cancer and The National Brain Appeal.
The Wanted were on the bill that night too, but it was a later show that proved to be a defining moment in Tom's life.
The band finally rescheduled their tour for early 2022, kicking off with dates in Glasgow and Newcastle.
And after undergoing three weeks of treatment in Spain, Tom joined the rest of the boys on stage in Bournemouth, much to their fans' amazement.
Last week, meanwhile, Kelsey shared a heartbreaking tribute to Tom on their daughter Aurelia Rose's third birthday.
She wrote: "Well my baby girl is 3 and it's been 3 months since we lost Tom - two big milestones.
"3 years with our amazing Rae has absolutely flown by but I can't remember life without her here. 3 months without Tom has felt like a lifetime but yet it feels like only yesterday he was here with me.
"Life is cruel and amazing, hard, yet magical and everything in between. Happy Birthday baby girl, may all your wishes comes true."
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