The Wanted star Max George gives health update amid battle with heart condition
21 December 2024, 21:06
The Wanted star Max George has had a pacemaker fitted after an operation to address a heart block.
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The star shared a photo of his scar on Instagram which sits just below a "special tattoo" on the left side of his chest.
The tattoo reads 04/08/1998, a reference to the birthday of late bandmate Tom Parker, who died in 2022.
George, 36, who announced he had been taken to hospital due to "issues with my heart", earlier in the month, said the pacemaker was "the best Christmas present".
He previously said that he was "hoping" he would receive the implanted medical device after a having heart issues.
In a post to Instagram on Thursday, he explained he went to hospital after feeling "really unwell" and added that he needed "a lot more tests" to determine "what surgery I will need to get me back on my feet".
After the procedure, he wrote: "Say hello to my little friend!
"Given the last 10 days, this is the best Christmas present I could've ever wished for.
"Pacemaker is in. Operation took around two and a half hours. The main issue being some of my veins had collapsed where the wires were meant to go... But the surgeons and nurses at the NHS have been incredible. I owe everything to them.
"The surgeon kindly put my pacemaker just underneath a very special tattoo of mine.. So I'm sure it's being looked after.
"Few more tests to do due to inflamed lymph nodes on my lungs, but that'll be easy work!
"Time to rest and then tackle life full on once again.
"Thank you for all your support. It's meant a hell of a lot to myself and my family."
Parker, who also rose to fame in the 2010s with the boy band The Wanted along with George, died at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
As well as a string of hits with The Wanted, George has also appeared in US musical series Glee and competed on Strictly Come Dancing, where he got to know his future girlfriend - former EastEnders star Maisie Smith - in 2020.
Smith, 23, and George have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022.
The implanted devices, which regulate heart rhythm, have saved countless lives by generating an electric current.
Tom Parker, who also rose to fame in the 2010s with the boy band along with George, died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
As well as a string of hits with The Wanted, George has also appeared in US musical series Glee, and competed on Strictly Come Dancing, where he got to know his future girlfriend - former EastEnders star Maisie Smith - in 2020.
Smith, 23, and George have previously said that romantic sparks only began to fly in 2022.
