Kelsey Parker is pregnant - Star's baby joy with partner Will
EXCLUSIVE: Kelsey Parker has revealed exclusively that she is expecting her first baby with boyfriend Will Lindsay - and says her late husband, Tom, has 'given his blessing'
Kelsey Parker has exclusively revealed she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Will Lindsay, as she admits she 'can't live in sadness - Tom wouldn't want me to'. The happyl news comes three years after the heartbreaking death of her husband Tom Parker. The Wanted singer Tom died of brain cancer at 33, leaving Kelsey to solo parent their two children together, Aurelia, now five, and Bodhi, four.
But in this exclusive chat at their South East London home, Kelsey and her new partner reveal excitedly that theyâre set to become parents together â and Kelsey believes Tom has given them his âblessingâ. The TV star, who runs a performing arts school, had previously opened up about wanting more children with Tom but tragically, that was not meant to be.
The star says she's had 'every emotion under the sun' since finding out the news - but she's 'very happy' (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Will is 'over the moon' to become a dad for the first time with Kelsey (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
"Tom and I always said we wanted four â but life had other plans,â Kelsey says. âSo yes, this is amazing but also bittersweet. The joys of finding out Iâm pregnant and moving forward with my life, while thinking, âMy life could have been so different.â Iâve felt every emotion under the sun. Iâm still getting my head around it but Iâm so excited. And I know Iâm putting myself out there, telling people. I just want everyone to be as happy as I am.â
Kelsey and Will live in the second family home she shared with Tom. âTom and I had a house before, which we had the kids and got married in. We moved into my current home in September 2021, and Tom only had eight months in this place, but I feel like he picked it for me. Will gradually moved in. There wasnât a specific date, but he moved in when it felt right for all of us. Right now, we donât have any plans to move elsewhere and weâve made this our home.â
Kelsey is philosophical about how life has panned out. âFor me, I feel like everythingâs meant to be,â she says. âIâm just trying to find joy. I love my children â theyâve got me through the worst times. So I feel like Iâve been blessed with another. âIf I dwelled on everything thatâs happened, I wouldnât be here. Tom was my soulmate. Iâm still angry heâs gone. But I canât live in sadness. Tom wouldnât want that.â
Kelsey says the kids love having Will in the house - and he says they all 'bonded so well" (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Having previously admitted how lonely she was, Kelsey found love again last year quite by chance, meeting Kent-born Will, 27, on a night out and going public with their romance last September. Kelsey, who is due in June, describes her third pregnancy as a âhappy accidentâ and opens up on the moment she and her partner saw the positive line on the pregnancy test. âIt was October 21st, the day after Willâs birthday. He shares a birthday with Bodhi. I was shocked but so happy. Will cried his eyes out!â
Tree surgeon Will couldnât be more chuffed. âIâm over the moon,â he says. âThis is something Iâve wanted for a long time. I couldnât be happier and I know Kelsey is going to be an amazing mum, as she already is.â Kelsey was âvery sickâ in her first trimester, but hid her symptoms from everyone as at first just she and Will, her kids and their respective families knew she was expecting.
Tearing up, she says telling her late husband Tomâs family was deeply emotional moment. âTomâs mum Noreen gave me her blessing instantly. She canât wait to have another grandchild. All I care about is that both our families and Tomâs family are happy. Noreen is the most amazing lady. After Tom passed, she said to me, âAs long as youâre happy Kels, whatever you do, we will always support you and be happy for you.â Weâve all been through so much together. But Iâm here and bringing another baby into the world.â
A stunning photo of Tom sits pride of place on the wall (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Tom and Kelsey were together for over 13 years before his tragic death aged just 33 (Image: Max George/Instagram)
Breaking the news to the children, she says, was a special moment. âWe filmed it to keep. They were so happy. I think theyâll be amazing big siblings. Bodhiâs always been the baby though, so that might be hard for him at the start.â And Kelsey says Aurelia seemed to have a strange inkling of what was going on before they broke the news.
âI feel like Aureliaâs been in this world before. When I was eight weeks pregnant, she came up and started talking to a baby in my tummy. Will and I just looked at each other in disbelief. Sheâs said she wants the baby to be called Parker if itâs a boy. Both of them had been going on and on for ages about wanting a brother or sister. When Will came along, they were like, âCan you have a baby now?â Theyâre so funny.â
Kelsey and Will donât have a preference on the sex of their first baby together, but whether they find out before their arrival is another question. They have the results of the gender waiting for them on an email. âBut we havenât opened it yet,â says Kelsey. âWeâre undecided on whether weâre going to look at it yet. Weâre just going to see how the journey goes.â
Kelsey is hoping for a peaceful birth this time round (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Their beautiful home is perfect for the new arrival and the couple are laid-back when it comes to decorating. âThereâs a nursery room, but for the moment the baby will be in with Will and I. We wouldnât rule out the baby sharing with either Aurelia or Bodhi when theyâre older. Weâre just going with the flow and enjoying every moment of it.â
As for her hopes for the birth, Kelsey confesses that her last two were âso traumaticâ, her dream is a calm, tranquil home birth. Suffering from preeclampsia with her daughter Aurelia, Kelsey was âquite poorlyâ during her first labour. Bodhiâs birth was heartbreakingly difficult in a different way â as doting dad Tom was diagnosed with brain cancer when she was at 35 weeks.
âBodhi broke his own waters three weeks after that. It was so traumatic. It was during Covid and they didnât really want the dads in. It was such a weird experience, topped off by the stress of my husband having a brain tumour and undergoing treatment. I wasnât eating,â she says. âWith Bodhi, we were on a timer. Weâd better get this baby out today, Tom, because youâve got to have your radiotherapy treatment tomorrow. As births go, so far, theyâve been horrendous. Iâve been praying to Tom to send me a good birth. I think I deserve it.â
The kids love Will's fun and his 'calming' energy (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Kelsey feels like Tom, who passed away in March 2022, 18 months after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, has been sending her signs during her pregnancy, to show heâs watching over her. âIâm very spiritual and so is Will,â she says. âEspecially after he lost his dad, he believes in signs from loved ones, like me â and Iâve had so many from Tom. Willâs seen them too â he doesnât think Iâm crazy.â
On Christmas Day, Kelsey recalls that Will was busy building a toy with the kids, nowhere near the fireplace, when a candle suddenly flew off it, crashing to the floor. She adds, âTom does lights and TVs a lot, too. Weâve been in bed and at 1am the TV comes on by itself. So many things happen.â
Kelsey is convinced her romance with Will was âmeant to beâ. She met him on a night out when she least expected to, having met Tom at 19 in a nightclub. âWill and I are on the same page with spirituality,â she says. âI honestly think Tom must have brought Will to me. I wasnât actively dating or on the apps, then Will appeared. I feel Tomâs presence. I do feel Tom guides me.â
Will loves talking about Tom as Kelsey and the kids share their memories of him (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
As for Will, who unlike Kelsey has little experience of showbiz and even shuns social media, Kelsey is sure from what sheâs seen that heâll make an amazing dad. âBodhi is a mummyâs boy, but now Willâs there, heâs diving on him, they have rough play⊠Heâs brought that fatherly presence back into the house again. Willâs a massive Arsenal supporter, so now Bodhiâs bedsheets are all Arsenal. Heâs still a Bolton fan, though!â
Quietly-spoken Will says he couldnât feel more welcomed by Kelseyâs family. âI feel so at home, and I love having Aurelia and Bodhi in my life now. We just bonded so quickly, I felt like everything just happened naturally. âI want to help as much as possible and be involved. I take Bodhi to football or to the park on the weekend, and we love that. Kelsey has two gorgeous kids and Iâm so lucky theyâre both in my life now. Itâs all just been pretty natural fitting in â nothing has felt forced, or rushed.â
Another man might have worried about having big boots to fill, integrating into Kelseyâs family, but Kelsey â who admits it was always her big worry about a future partner â maintains outdoor-loving Willâs not an overthinker, he just gets on with it. âNo one has a bad word to say about Will,â she says.
Aurelia has been excitedly 'talking to the baby in mummy's tummy' (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
âEveryone loves him. Heâs got such nice energy, heâs calming for the kids. He plays with them but doesnât get them hyped up. âItâs that backing for me, which I havenât had in a while. I felt like I was doing everything. This is my problem, I think Iâm superwoman but Will has helped me â and Iâm not good at asking for help. I was so lonely. Iâve gone from lonely to a full house with another baby on the way!â
But Tomâs presence still looms large at home. âWill once said he never wants me to not talk about Tom. He talks about him and loves hearing stories about him. Thereâs a massive picture of Tom upstairs. He walked past it once, smiled at me and went, âOh, heâs handsome though, isnât he?â says Kelsey. Will adds, âTom was a massive part of Kelseyâs life. They were together for over 13 years and had two beautiful children, so itâs normal to talk about him a lot. I think it would be weird if we didnât.â
You wonât see Kelseyâs man at many showbiz events, however. âI love Kelsey so Iâll take that world on board and support her and the kids in whatever way I can,â he says. âIâve been to a few events with Kelsey, like Westminster Abbey at Christmas for the royal carols and that was amazing, but you wonât find me getting in front of the camera much. Iâm much happier on the sofa having a cuddle and watching a movie, or taking the kids to get an ice cream.â
Kelsey couldn't be happier with Will and says 'I can't live in sadness - Tom wouldn't want me to' (Image: OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Kelsey has faced her fair share of backlash over dating since Tomâs death and admits sheâs preparing for more after her pregnancy news. âPeople will pass judgement on the colour of your nails,â she says. But she is all about chasing the joy. âIâm a joy seeker. People are so sad about what happened to me and the kids. I get it, but I canât live in sadness. I have two young children who are happy. Weâre trying to find joy in life. If you go down that path of darkness, whatâs life all about?â
Asked if she and Will might tie the knot in future, now theyâre expanding their blended family, Kelsey doesnât give much away, adding that limelight-shy Will hates being the centre of attention. âI think all that attention would be Willâs worst nightmare. Iâm like, âYouâve literally picked the worst person to spend your life with!â But thatâs why we work so well â heâs happy to sit back and be my cheerleader,â she says.
Kelsey wouldnât be human if she didnât have mixed emotions, but she clearly adores her new man. âIâm so lucky to have met Will. Heâs an incredible person who loves me and my kids. I canât wait for our future together.â