The Wanted star Max George, 36, reveals he will spend Christmas in hospital undergoing heart surgery as he admits he was ‘very lucky this was noticed when it was’

Max George has revealed he will spend Christmas in hospital to undergo heart surgery, he told fans on Thursday.

The Wanter singer, 36, who has previously battled alcoholism, admitted he was ‘very lucky this was noticed when it was’ as he shared the shocking health scare.

Max has not disclosed which condition he suffers from.

He wrote: ‘Hey everyone, Yesterday I felt very unwell and was taken to hospital. Unfortunately, after some tests they discovered that I have problems with my heart.

‘I have many more tests to determine the extent of the problems and what surgery I will need to get back on my feet.

‘It’s going to be a tough few weeks/months… and Christmas in a hospital bed wasn’t exactly what I had planned! But as always, I am surrounded with love and support by my wonderful partner Maisie [Smith]her family, my family and friends.. and I am 100% in the best place.

Max George, 36, has revealed he has ‘problems with his heart’ and will spend Christmas in hospital, he told fans on Thursday

The Wanter singer admitted he was ‘very lucky this was noticed when it was’ as he shared the shocking health update

Max’s health battle comes after his late bandmate and best friend Tom Parker died aged 33 on March 30, 2022 after an 18-month battle with brain cancer (pictured together in 2021)

Siva Kaneswaran, Nathan Sykes, Tom, Max and Jay McGuiness from The Wanted pictured in 2021

‘While this is a huge shock and undoubtedly a setback, it is something I will face with everything I have! I consider myself very lucky that this was caught when it did.

‘Apologies if I bore you with updates in the coming weeks. I’ve probably been in bed for a month and there’s not much to do!

‘Let’s do this! Lots of love, Max x’

Shortly after his announcement, Max posted a light-hearted joke from his hospital bed about Manchester City’s loss in Wednesday night’s football match.

As he lay in bed with a heart monitor on his chest, he joked: “So I think they’re officially trying to kill me… come on guys.”

Max has been open about his battle with binge drinking and alcoholism over the years, previously admitting to drinking ‘ten pints and three bottles of wine in one night’.

Last year, the singer revealed he turned to alcohol to adapt to the spotlight and ease his anxiety during his “all-time low.”

He referred to an incident where he drank ten pints and three bottles of wine in one evening while celebrating his birthday.

Shortly after his announcement, Max posted a light-hearted joke from his hospital bed about Manchester City’s loss in Wednesday night’s football match.

Max has been open about his battle with binge drinking and alcoholism over the years, previously admitting to drinking ‘ten pints and three bottles of wine in one night’.

Last year, the singer revealed he turned to alcohol to adapt to the spotlight and ease his anxiety during his “all-time low.”

He added that he was also inspired to quit drinking after hearing of Tom’s (pictured) stage four glioblastoma diagnosis

Tom shared daughter Aurelia, five and four-year-old son Bodhi with his widow Kelsey, who is now in a relationship with her new partner Will (pictured with Tom and their children in 2021)

The binge contained approximately 38 units of alcohol. The NHS recommends that men and women consume no more than 14 units per week.

Speaking about his drinking on Channel 4’s Scared Of The Dark, he said: ‘I would always get bullied before we performed. I had trouble adjusting, so I drank to make myself feel like it wasn’t bothering me.

“It’s sometimes quite difficult to distinguish between anxiety and depression, but mine was definitely more the anxiety side that started when the boys went number one with All Time Low.”

Referring to his birthday binge session, he confessed: “I was sick for a week. The doctor looked at my liver and said my liver count was quite low, I don’t mess with my liver. So I stopped.’

He added that he was also inspired to quit drinking after learning of late bandmate Tom Parker’s stage four glioblastoma diagnosis.

Tom died on March 30, 2022, aged 33, after an 18-month battle with brain cancer.

Bursting into tears, he confessed to Paul: ‘How do you deal with it? There’s no cure for that, so you just learn to get on with your life, I guess. But dealing with it, certainly not.

“I don’t…I don’t think I’ll ever be okay with it, you know. One of the last things I said to him was, I thanked him for making my life so much better than it could ever have been, you know, like that whole journey of being in the band.

Max has been in a relationship with EastEnders star Maisie Smith since 2022

‘He was my best friend. F**k. I just don’t want it to be a burden or a problem for anyone else.”

Max previously revealed that sobriety has made life clearer, despite being ‘really bored at the weekend’.

He said in March last year: ‘I haven’t had a drink in 18 months, everyone says: ‘I bet you feel better, don’t you?’

‘No, I’m just really bored at the weekend! Just grim as usual during the week. It was good, it’s easier to keep fit… so yeah, everything is pretty clear now.”

The Wanted released a statement in January 2014 to announce that they were taking a hiatus to “pursue personal endeavors.”

Max’s bandmate Tom was given only twelve months to live by doctors in October 2020 before passing away in 2022.

Tom shared daughter Aurelia, five, and four-year-old son Bodhi with his widow Kelsey, who is now in a relationship with her new partner Will.

Max has been in a relationship with EastEnders star Maisie Smith, 23, since 2022.

The pair would play a married couple in Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War Of The Worlds, which will tour in 2025.

The year after appearing on Strictly, Max was invited on the dancing show’s national tour, where he struck up a romance with co-star Maisie.

In 2022, he was forced to defend their 13-year age difference by telling Hello! ‘It never crosses my mind. Maisie has done so many things that I’m in awe of – I look up to her.’

If you are concerned about your or someone else’s alcohol consumption, call Drinkline free on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm).