The Wanted will be one man down for a little while.
The group announced on Wednesday (April 17) that Nathan Sykes will take an “unforeseen hiatus” from the band in order to undergo throat surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“Our lil Nath has to go in for an op on his throat on his birthday to make him better so join us in wishing him well,” they wrote on their Facebook page. “We love ya! #GetWellNath.”
They followed with a tweet to concerned fans assuring them that Sykes will get all their good vibes. “We will be passing on all your words of support and love, it means the world to him and you definitely help us all through this.”
The full statement from the group’s spokesperson confirmed that the band’s other four members will stick to their promotional schedule while Sykes recovers. “We can confirm that The Wanted’s Nathan Sykes will under go specialist throat surgery on Thursday 18th April in Los Angeles and as such will be taking unforeseen hiatus form The Wanted,” read the statement. “ The priority for Nathan, his label and management is that he is given time to recover and receive the best treatment possible. The remaining four members of The Wanted will continue fulfilling the bands promotional commitments across the world.”
Sykes was more succinct on his Twitter feed, writing, “Gutted …” He followed with a more anxiety-ridden tweet, “Can’t sleep. So much on my mind.” According to British reports, Sykes will not be able to speak for a month and may have to sit on the sidelines during the sessions for the Wanted’s new album. It is unknown if he will recover in time to join the boys on their world tour, which is slated to kick off later this year.
The news comes just after the debut date was announced for the band’s E! reality series, “The Wanted Life,” which will hit screens on June 2.