Busted Star James Bourne Reveals Shocking Family Secret That Saved His Life
Picture this: Your brother saves your life not by telling embarrassing childhood stories at Thanksgiving (though those do sting), but by straight-up handing you a kidney. I mean—how’s that for sibling rivalry turned heartwarming? Busted’s James Bourne found himself “alive and kicking” thanks to the ultimate act of brotherly love. One minute he’s gearing up for another nostalgia-fueled tour, the next he’s sidelined by failing health, staring down some heavy words from his doctors and pondering years instead of decades. And just when it seemed he might never strum his guitar on stage again, his younger brother Chris—yep, the same one who once stole his Pop-Tart—steps in, not just filling in at gigs, but donating a kidney. Talk about taking “having your back” to a new level. Want to see how a real-life plot twist brings a pop-punk legend back from the brink and what it means for the band, his fans, and next steps? LEARN MORE.
Busted star James Bourne has revealed he is only ‘alive and kicking’ thanks to a kidney donation from his brother, Chris.
According to Metro, James wrote on X in July just before closing his Instagram account, “As I’m taking a break from the gram, I’ll be posting an update soon about what’s going on with my health in my Spotify bio.
“It’s a long story. Still not out of the woods yet. Thanks for your support and patience.”
The singer wrote on his Spotify account how he expected to have just a few years left alive until his brother intervened.
“Wow, what the hell happened? One minute you’re heading out on tour, the next thing you know you’re on the bench and out of the game,” he wrote.
“My condition was serious and the doctors told me I had a few years left to live.”
Busted continued to perform until recently (Photo by Luke Brennan/Getty Images)
He described how his youngest brother, Chris, who stepped in for him on tour last year, has “saved my life yet again. This time quite literally by donating me one of his kidneys.”
He added, “I can’t believe how much better I’m starting to feel already.
“I’m still going to need some time, but I wanted you to know that we’re both recovering from surgery just fine,” James concluded.
“My brother is a hero.”
The star’s health concerns were first reported in September last year when he had to pull out of the Busted vs McFly tour with just 24 hours’ notice.
He apologised to fans at the time, saying that he was ‘not in good enough health’ to take part – and praising his girlfriend and family for their support.
James’ youngest brother Chris then took part in the show, replacing him on the guitar alongside Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis – James’s two original bandmates.
The band said they had never done a show without James before (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images For Bauer Media)
Matt told Metro he had ‘never done a show without James’ and did not want to repeat the experience again.
“We were talking to him, and he was like, ‘You should still do it, I just can’t be there.’ It was a really difficult time for us. It all happened so quickly,” he recalled.
“It was strange; it was weird. I don’t ever want to do it again,” he added.
After six months out of the spotlight, James revealed in April this year he was due to undergo ‘major surgery’ that could ‘extend life’, states Metro.
He said the surgery should make him ‘well enough’ to ‘make music again’.
Busted launched when the members were still teenagers (Photo by Tim Roney/Getty Images)
‘It really sucks to be out of the game. But there is hope,’ he wrote.
He released Murder At The Gates, the soundtrack to a musical he wrote with Steven Sater, on 1 July.
He told The Sun in June, “I didn’t want my health to stop me from promoting this project because I’ve put 13 years of my life into it.
“There was a fear of not finishing it. But I knew I had to finish it and give this to the people.”
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