Tom Parker's memoir details heartbreaking bullying that led to The Wanted fame
ok.co.ukThe late Tom Parker recalled how being bullied in his childhood led to his incredible career as part of The Wanted in his memoir Hope: My Inspirational Life.Tom was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in October 2020 and tragically passed away at age 33 in March this year, leaving behind his beloved wife Kelsey and their two children Aurelia, two, and one year old Bodhi.The singer wrote that he suffered at the hands of bullies as a child as he was called names due to his height as well as "Saj after the kid from the film East Is East," thanks to the parka he wore back then. "I literally wasn’t called Tom throughout the whole of my time at school," he wrote.
Get exclusive celebrity stories and fabulous photoshoots straight to your inbox with OK!'s daily newsletter Calling it "general toxicity", Tom explained that he had to put up with a great deal in order to try and be accepted by popular children, but "learned the hard way that the key to a more fulfilling lifestyle is to just be yourself". "The final straw came when my backpack full of GCSE work was stolen in Year 11, and it took me a week to get it back," he continued. "By the time I discovered my notes all over the muddy cricket pitch, none of it was readable any more." Tom shared that he had to hold back his tears as his mum found out about what had happened – but it was this time of his life that led him to learn the guitar with the help of his brother.
He then taught himself how to play Wonderwall by Oasis as he shared: "That song kick-started my whole interest in music." At the age of 16, he decided to audition for The X Factor, but was left deflated by the rejection and didn't sing for six months as a result.
