Tom Parker’s widow Kelsey admits Christmas was ‘so tough’ without him: ‘It was harder than I ever anticipated’

Kelsey Parker’s husband Tom died of a brain tumour last year (Picture: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Kelsey Parker has confessed she had no idea just how tough her first Christmas without her late husband, The Wanted’s Tom Parker, would actually be.

Addressing fans in a candid video on Thursday, the doting mum said the festive day had been ‘tough’ for her and detailed the many ‘waves’ of emotions she felt.

Tom died in March aged 33 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, leaving behind Kelsey, 32, and their two young children, Aurelia, three and Bodhi, two.

Sitting in her living room, Kelsey told her 394,000 Instagram followers: ‘Hey everyone. So, I survived Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, it was harder than I ever anticipated it would be.

‘Christmas was so tough for me. The emotions just came in waves, one minute I was happy, one minute I was sad, one minute I was angry.’

Kelsey went on: ‘But I’m here, and I’ve survived it, and we’re in January, and it’s a new year. I was talking to my friend earlier and I said the only way to describe the waves and the feelings you get is… When I think about Tom I get this wave, and it’s almost like when you lose a set of keys.’

Kelsey confessed she had no idea just how tough her first Christmas without Tom would be (Picture: Instagram.com/being_kelsey)

The doting mum said in her new post: ‘I’m here, and I’ve survived it, and we’re in January, and it’s a new year’ (Picture: Instagram.com/being_kelsey)

She added: ‘You know you have that first feeling and you think, “where’s my keys, where’s my keys?”, it’s almost like that and I think, “where is he?” and I then have to reassure myself and be like, “he’s not coming back”.

‘Sometimes I might have that five times a day. But then life continues, and ultimately, I’m a mum.’

Kelsey also made sure to thank her fans, who she credited with getting her through the festive season.

‘I just wanted to say that I wouldn’t have been able to get through any of this if it wasn’t for you guys,’ she sweetly noted, adding: ‘Your DMs, your messages, everything. I can’t get back to all of you, but you honestly have been the biggest support.’

Tom announced in October 2020 that he had been diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma and had started radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The Glad You Came singer bravely documented his cancer battle online and even wrote about his experiences in a book titled Hope.

The Parkers married in 2018 (Picture: Instagram.com/being_kelsey)

Tom and Kelsey also let cameras into their lives for Inside My Head – a documentary following the star’s life after he received his diagnosis.

Kelsey’s video comes after she revealed that although she wants to be ‘hopeful’ in the new year, she isn’t ‘really sure’ how to feel about 2023 after the death of her husband.

Marking 2023 by posting a smiling picture of herself on Instagram, Kelsey wrote: ‘Hello 2023. I wonder what you’ll have in store for us.

‘To be honest I’m not really sure how I’m feeling about the new year. I want to be hopeful, to look forward to but it’s hard to move forward without looking back.

More: Trending

‘I do know that whatever it brings, with Rae and Bo by my side the year will be full of smiles, fun and positivity.’

She noted that her family will continue to live and grow with their ‘grief’ and wished her followers all the best for the new year.

MORE : The Traitors producer teases season 2 after denying celebrity spin-off rumours

MORE : Ashley Olsen ‘marries’ longtime partner Louis Eisner in ‘secret wedding’

The Wanted star passed away last year.