Kelsey Parker has thanked her fans for their support in an emotional statement after she debuted her new romance.
Kelsey went Instagram official with her new boyfriend last week as she admitted it feels good to "have someone by by my side" again. Now the widower - who tragically lost her husband Tom Parker of The Wanted when he died in March 2022 after battling a brain tumour - has been overwhelmed by the support she was shown after posting her loved-up photo with her tree surgeon man.
Kelsey wrote: "I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all the love and support for my recent post. I was really hesitant to share this part of my life, especially since many of you know me from my life with Tom and the horrific grief I've been dealing with after losing him.
"Opening up about my journey over the past couple of years has been incredibly healing, allowing me to connect with others who've gone through similar experiences and build a beautiful, supportive community." Kelsey, 33, shared two children with Tom, Aurelia and Bodhi.
In her post she confessed that life as a grieving single mum hasn't been easy. She continued: "Tom will always be a huge part of my life - there's no question about that. I will always love him and think about him every day. But I'm now navigating this path as a single mom, and at times it has been challenging.
"I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel good to have someone by my side now, someone who makes me smile and reminds me what it feels like to love again. Everyone deserves that feeling. Grief is something I will always talk about. It will always be part of mine in the kids lives. Thank you for your continued support, as always. Love Kels."
Kelsey's post was soon flooded with messages of praise. Singer-songwriter Jessica Agombar penned: "You deserve all the happiness in the world." While Lottie Drynan added: "You deserve all the love and happiness in the world you bloody angel." "Don't ever deprive yourself of happiness my darling. Love you," commented TOWIE star Lydia Bright.
Earlier this year Kelsey opened up to OK! as she discussed what it was like learning to cope with grief at such a young age while also caring for the couple's two young children. She admitted that she has tried to stay positive and is always reminded to live for the moment.
She said: "Grief’s a funny thing, isn’t it? Living grief and going through it… For me, I am the preacher of, ‘You’ve got to live for each day and take each day as it comes.’ But I think when I hit March, I’m like, ‘Oh my God,’ and I can’t believe it’s actually been two years since I lost Tom.”
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