Inside The Wanted’s bitter feud as stars cut ties after secret divide, doomed reality show & wedding snub
THE once chart-topping boyband is said to have cut all final ties following a long-running secret divide, years of silence and bitter behind-the-scenes fallouts.
The British boy band – made up of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and the late Tom Parker – have been at loggerheads since their split in 2014.
The platinum-selling group were behind hit songs such as “Glad You Came”, “All Time Low” and “Chasing the Sun” before they disbanded.
They briefly reunited in 2021 for a charity concert in Tom’s honour, but old wounds have reopened – and some members are said to no longer be on speaking terms.
Insiders claimed friendships “never fully healed” after the band’s initial breakup, with egos, solo projects and clashing personalities driving a deeper wedge between the lads.
The break up
The Wanted announced they were to split in January 2014 to “pursue personal endeavours” after completing their upcoming ‘Word of Mouth Tour’.
In a statement posted on their website, the band said: “The Wanted are pleased to announce the release of their new video and single ‘Glow In The Dark’ taken from their November release ‘Word of Mouth’.
“They are very excited to perform ‘Glow In The Dark’ along with their smash singles ‘I Found You’, ‘Chasing The Sun’, and ‘Glad You Came’, amongst others for their fans on their upcoming ‘Word of Mouth Tour’.
“This tour will be their last for a while as Tom, Max, Jay, Siva and Nathan have collectively decided to take time to pursue personal endeavours following the tour’s conclusion.
“The band wants to stress to their fans that they will continue on as The Wanted and look forward to many successful projects together in the future.
“They thank their fans for their continued love and support and look forward to seeing them on tour.”
‘Very difficult conversations’
Although their official statement claimed they’d “continue on as The Wanted,” Max later revealed that simmering tensions and clashing ambitions had secretly driven the group apart.
Max admitted: “Over the past year, there has been a lot of tension. Our personal lives drove us apart – things started to happen and we were drifting. We used to be such a brotherly pact, but it started to feel like it wasn’t The Wanted anymore.”
He went on to confess that he and bandmate Nathan were the ones who pushed for the split – despite protests from the others.
“We had a very difficult conversation,” Max said. “Our manager Scooter Braun asked us who would want to take a step out after and try to do their own thing. Me and Nathan both said we have other ambitions.”
Both singers went on to be represented by Braun – with Nathan briefly finding solo success (and headlines) thanks to a short-lived PR romance with Ariana Grande, while Max landed a role on Glee.
But behind the scenes, the duo’s diverging paths reportedly caused even more tension within the group.
Siva hits out at Max
Siva hit back at bandmate Max after The Wanted split, slamming his comments about “personal relationships causing issues” as “untrue and very unfair.”
Speaking out in an interview, Siva instead blamed their E! reality show The Wanted Life for sparking tension within the group.
He said: “I think from doing the TV show we all kind of knew where we stood and from that I felt like there was some sense of… I felt like it was every man for himself looking back on when the show aired.
“I’ve never been that way and I’d never actually seen it before until I looked back at the show. I think that is where we lost the team element and from there it kind of just went.”
Despite the rift, Siva said he wanted to find common ground with Max, adding: “Aside from the drama with Max, I’m going to talk to him to find a way forward and be adults about it.
“All of us boys are like brothers, it’s all I’ve ever known and we’re going on tour together.
“I think we’re just going to be professional with each other and give the fans a good show – because it’s all about the fans at the end of the day.”
Nathan cutting ties
In 2016, Nathan admitted he wasn’t talking to Siva or Max anymore.
Nathan told Yahoo: “I still class Jay [McGuiness] as a really good friend. He’s a really nice person. And Tom [Parker], I’m not so sure about where the others are at but I’m sure they are very busy and very happy.”
However, Nathan admitted that if everyone was on board with a reunion, he would be happy to have a “conversation” about it.
He said: “Obviously, I am very focused on my solo career at the moment, so I haven’t thought about the band ever getting back together, but you never know what is going to happen in the future.
“If there was an opportunity and everyone wanted to, it’s a conversation, but if everyone is still happy doing their own thing, then I think everyone will just be happy to continue as they are.”
Meanwhile, Siva was living in Los Angeles, attempting to crack Hollywood.
Tom’s cancer diagnosis
The band eventually put their differences aside when tragedy struck, after Tom was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer in 2021.
His illness brought the group back together, reuniting them publicly in October that year.
Reflecting on the reunion, Max said: “I think I speak on behalf of everyone, in the time away from it, it gave me time to reflect and appreciate what we’d achieved and how good our music actually was.
“Because at the time we were doing it, it was so packed in that we didn’t get to really appreciate how much we enjoyed each other’s company or how good our music was because… like, every day, it was all a bit mad.”
Jay added: “Even when we were under so much pressure and we’d be squabbling and whatever was going on, we always had fun, we were always very down to earth. But really,” he continued on a more serious note, “time helps a lot. And all of our perspective has changed.
“We are grateful, we’re the boy band that walk into the room and are, like, ‘I’m just happy to be here.’ Back in the day, Max has said this a few times, we wanted a number-one after number-one because we’d had that, and we felt terrible when we didn’t get that. And when five young men have that sort of ambition, it can get really tense.”
Jay said he believes the group reunion proved they could finally let bygones be bygones and simply enjoy being together again.
The Wanted made an emotional return to the stage at the Stand Up To Cancer concert organised by Tom at London’s Royal Albert Hall, an event later featured in the Channel 4 documentary Inside My Head.
“There was a moment where I thought I was going to break down and have a meltdown,” Tom admitted.
“But the boys just comforted me… It was just an emotional night all around, even for the whole day and stuff. And just walking into the venue – we had never played the Royal Albert Hall before, when we played all around the world.”
He added: “There’s just something beautifully special about it.”
Max and Siva tour
The Wanted fans were left baffled in May 2024 after Max announced he was heading on tour with just one of his bandmates.
The Strictly Come Dancing star revealed he would be touring alongside Siva – but without Jay or Nathan.
The duo performed in America for a number of dates and finished up in India.
Before the tour, Max told fans: “Myself and Siva can’t wait for this! Our first time in India… dream come true!”
Fans were quick to question the absence of Jay and Nathan – sparking fears the original line-up had officially fallen apart.
It later emerged that Jay would be performing in 2:22 A Ghost Story in Dublin, while Nathan is thought to be focusing on new music.
The shows marked the first time members of the group have performed since the tragic death of bandmate Tom.
The divide
The band have openly admitted there was a clear divide during their heyday – with Max and Tom on one side, and the others forming their own group.
Max and Siva even confessed they never imagined they’d end up touring as a duo when The Wanted went on hiatus in 2014, admitting they “weren’t the closest” and barely spent time together off stage.
Max said: “I’m not going to lie, if you’d said to us 10 years ago that it’d be me and Siva doing this together we’d be like no, never.
Siva agreed: “Max was with Tom, I was with Nathan and Jay.”
Max continued: “Apart from working, we didn’t spend any time together, so I feel like I’ve got to know Siva more in the last year than in the whole 10 before it.
Reflecting on Jay and Nathan’s decision not to rejoin the group, Max added: “We had lots of conversations with the other boys and each other.
“The other boys are so happy doing what they’re doing and they’re really focused on their lives and their careers.
Siva added: “We missed being in the band… we really wanted to get back on stage.”
Future reunion?
Earlier this year, Nathan told The Sun they would never get back together – as the band “will only ever be a five-piece.”
Nathan, Tom, Max, Siva and Jay reunited for a greatest hits album and one-off show in 2021, which was followed by a tour in early 2022, ending just two weeks before Tom’s passing.
Speaking about the emotional concerts, Nathan said: “Obviously, you’d give anything for it not to have happened.
“But, equally, I’m so grateful that we were able to have that time, given that it did happen.
“It was just such a special time and the reception that he got every night, he really felt it. And it meant so much to him that he could do that.
“He was desperate to do that tour. There were tough moments, but we were having some of our fondest memories with Tom over that time.
While Max and Siva toured as The Wanted 2.0 – a four-piece reunion with Nathan and Jay seems out of the question.
Nathan said: “I’m really happy for them. They get a lot of enjoyment in performing the music and they see it as a tribute to Tom.
“Whereas Jay and I’s approach to it is that there’s a lot of emotion attached to that still. And I think we would find that really difficult.
“It’s just two different approaches and neither one is wrong. I think it’s really difficult imagining The Wanted as a four-piece because The Wanted has been and will only ever be a five-piece.
“It’s difficult imagining not performing with Tom.”
Nathan’s wedding
Nathan tied the knot with his girlfriend of six years Charlotte Burke in October 2025.
Nathan opted for an intimate celebration, inviting just 61 of their closest friends and family, among them was his bandmate Jay.
But Max and Siva were noticeably absent from Nathan’s wedding.
Speaking to OK! Nathan said: “We haven’t touched base recently, so I’m not sure they would have known the wedding date.
“With them being out in America at the time, we’ve not had the chance to [catch up], but I’m sure we will soon.”
He added: “We had a room full of people we’re comfortable with, so it was a really safe space and allowed us to relax.”
However, it now seems that Max and Nathan might not be talking at all.
Unfollow
Fans on Reddit noticed that the pair unfollowed each other on Instagram, cutting off social media communication.
One said: “Couldn’t help but notice Max and Nathan unfollowed each other? I wonder if there’s any beef between them lol.”
Another added: “I’ve always suspected Max and Nathan had a falling out before they broke up the first time.”
A third penned: “It’s a real shame because teenage me loved Nathan and Max’s interactions.
“I remember when Nathan used to comment on Max’s ig posts around 2 years ago.
“They haven’t followed each other in a very long time.”