Busted star James Bourne to undergo 'major surgery' to 'extend life' in devastating health update
James Bourne has revealed that he is set to undergo 'major surgery' to extend his life six months after he pulled out of the Busted vs McFly tour.
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The Busted star made the heartbreaking announcement after missing the band's last tour due to an unspecified issue.
The 42-year-old guitarist quit the band's joint UK and Ireland tour in September, one day before it was supposed to kick off in Birmingham. At the time, he said he was “not in good enough health to play these shows”, while his bandmates added he was "really f***ing sick".
Now, in a concerning update on his Instagram Stories, James wrote: "I realised it's been about six months since I posted last.
"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.
"It really sucks to be out of the game. But there is hope"
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As Busted hit on stage for their first show of the tour last month, co-vocalist Matt Willis said: "Okay, you may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight.
"James Bourne is really f***ing 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."
Busted and McFly previously revealed they would reunite for joint tour throughout September, October and November 2025.
James, alongside his bandmates Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis, said at the time of the announcement: "The whole tour is to find out who's a better band. Fans can decide.
"They can come and support their band and they might change their mind. It's going to be a fight to the death."
Matt also told fans that he and Charlie had asked James if he wanted them to cancel the tour. However, he gave them his blessing for the shows to go on without him.
Busted released their fourth and latest studio album, Half Way There, in 2019 before sharing their Greatest Hits 2.0 compilation in 2023.
In 2024, the band began working on new music with former Bring Me the Horizon member Jordan Fish, whom James called an "extraordinary talent".