Busted star James Bourne has revealed that his brother gave him a kidney to save his life, after doctors told him he had only a few years left to live.
The singer, 42, who is best known as a member of Busted alongside Matt Willis and Charlie Simpson, had to quit the band's tour with McFly last year and later revealed that he was suffering from poor health.
Brother steps in as donor
Writing in the bio section of his Spotify page, Bourne said: "Wow, what the hell happened? One minute you’re heading out on tour, the next thing you know you’re on the bench and out of the game. My condition was serious and the doctors told me I had a few years left to live.
"I’m happy to share now that my youngest brother, Chris, who stepped in for me on tour last year, has saved my life yet again. This time quite literally by donating me one of his kidneys."
He concluded: "I can’t believe how much better I’m starting to feel already. I’m still going to need some time, but I wanted you to know that we’re both recovering from surgery just fine. My brother is a hero."
Fan support and recovery
When a fan told James in a comment on X: "Really glad you're still here. Wishing you a smooth recovery," the singer replied: "It's good to still be here thank you."
In July, James took to social media to share a rare update, thanking fans for their ongoing support. He wrote: "As I’m taking a break from the gram, I’ll be posting an update soon about what’s going on with my health in my Spotify bio. It’s a long story. Still not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your support and patience."
Tour exit and surgery plan
James issued a statement previously where he said he needed surgery to extend his life. Writing on his Instagram Stories, he wrote: "I realised it's been about six months since I posted last.
"I have a plan in place to have a major surgery that should extend my life and hopefully make me well enough to come back to what I love the most, which is touring and making music. It really sucks to be out of the game. But there is hope!"
James shocked his fans when he announced he'd be stepping down from the McFly Vs Busted tour last year owing to his poor health. He said he would miss being there but had to put his health first.
"The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as l've been all year for this tour to begin, I'm really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows," he said at the time.
"There's a lot of information I still don't have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now.
"I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line. It's still going to be an amazing show and I will miss being there! See you all as soon as possible."
