A British rock star has opened up about a serious health battle, revealing he is set to undergo "major surgery" in a bid to "extend his life."
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James Bourne, 42, best known as a member of Busted, shared the concerning update after a difficult period that has kept him away from the stage.
The singer previously withdrew from the band's Busted vs McFly tour in September, just one day before it was due to begin. At the time, his bandmates described him as "really f—--- sick."
Busted Band Member James Bourne Shares Major Health Update
Bourne did not perform at any of the shows, and the exact nature of his condition remains undisclosed.
He did, however, address fans on Instagram at the time, writing that "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."
Now, six months on, Bourne has returned to social media with a more detailed update on his situation.
"I realised it's been about six months since I posted last," he wrote on Instagram Stories.
"I have a plan in place to have 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."
He ended the message on a hopeful note, adding, "It really sucks to be out of the game. But there is hope!"
Bandmates Support as Bourne Steps Away From Touring
During the tour, Busted continued without Bourne. Bandmate Matt Willis did address fans on the situation directly from the stage.
"Okay, you may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight," he said. "James Bourne is really f— sick and we love him and we miss him."
"This is the first show we've ever played without him and it's really. But we're going do the best we can. Health is wealth."
Alongside Willis and Charlie Simpson, Bourne helped build Busted into one of the UK's biggest pop-rock acts since forming in 2000.
The band has released four studio albums and sold over five million records. They released their self-titled debut in 2002 and A Present for Everyone in 2003.
After splitting in 2005, Busted reunited in 2015. They have since released Night Driver in 2016 and Half Way There in 2019.
Bourne is also known as the co-founder of pop-punk band Son of Dork, who released Welcome to Loserville in 2005.
