Ahead of hosting a charity football match in memory of her late husband Tom, Kelsey Parker says the event is a stark reminder that it’s been three years without The Wanted singer.
Kelsey Parker has opened up about the emotional reminder that it’s been three years since she lost her husband Tom Parker to a brain tumour, with The Wanted singer passing away in 2022 around 18 months after being diagnosed.
The mum-of-two is hosting a charity football match this weekend in Tom’s memory, which will see stars such as Ryan Thomas and Dan Osborne take to the pitch to raise money for brain tumours. And while it’s all for a good cause, Kelsey admits during an exclusive interview that it also reminds her of losing Tom.
“It’s a day like the football match when the realisation that he’s not here hits, so it is emotional,” says Kelsey, who adds, “This is our third match, I can’t believe it’s been three years since we lost him.”
Of planning the event, which takes place this Saturday at Bromley FC’s Hayes Lane stadium, Kelsey continues, “I’m the biggest control freak going, so Tom will be laughing down being like, ‘Oh, why do you just try and take control of everything, Kelsey, you bring the stress on’. But it’s something I love and I’m passionate about, I want it to be perfect for him.”
Kelsey – who says keeping busy helps her work through the grief – is a mum to daughter Aurelia and son Bodhi, who she welcomed with Tom before he passed. The couple were together for over 13 years, getting married in Surrey in 2018.
Explaining how the kids are involved too, she says, “They are so excited. Bodhi is going to come on the pitch before the match started with his little football team and then Aurelia is performing with my performing arts school during half time.
“They’re getting older each year, so they understand it more. This week, they keep saying, ‘Did you know that Daddy’s football match is on Saturday?’ They were really excited.”
Now, Kelsey is becoming a mum for the third time and is set to welcome her first child with new partner Will Lindsay, who she began dating last year. And describing Will’s close bond with her children, Kelsey says he has given full support to keeping Tom’s memory alive.
“Will brought his whole family and some friends along too, so he rallied the troops,” she laughs. “He loves Bodhi and Aurelia, so, for him, he wants to help for them.”
She adds of their tight-knit bond, “The kids are so close with Will. He went away for the weekend recently and they literally hated that he went away. They rang him every day and were like, ‘When are you coming back? You’re not allowed to go on holiday again without us.’
“I think it’s because they’ve lost someone too, as other children probably wouldn’t be like that with a new father figure in their life. They hate him going away and are really close with him”.
Tickets for the football match are available at http://www.bromleyfc.co.uk/