The Wanted's Max George says heart condition was 'a blessing in ways'

The Wanted singer Max George has said that his heart condition has been "a blessing in ways" as it has led to him connecting with many other young people going through something similar.

George, 37, was admitted to hospital in December 2024 when doctors discovered he had a blockage in his heart and required urgent surgery.

He had a pacemaker fitted at the time - which he described as being a bit of a "shock" - and returned to the stage last year to perform as part of the duo The Wanted 2.0 alongside Siva Kaneswaran.

George told the PA news agency he had found it "really rewarding" to speak to people about his and their conditions as his recovery continues.

The singer originally documented his experience in hospital with heart problems on Instagram due to "boredom", he said.

"To interact with people was just something nice to do," he told PA, while promoting a new awareness campaign by the British Heart Foundation.

"But the more I spoke to people, the more I realised that there was a lot of people my age and younger that have had this happen to them."

As part of the campaign, George will continue to swap stories with other people on red benches around the UK about their heart block experiences.

He added that his own experience had "triggered a thought process" that it was "important" make more people aware of the fact that heart problems "don't just happen to people over 75".

"If I can help them with their story or help bring more money towards treatment for heart conditions, then I'm all for it," he continued.

"In terms of that, this whole thing has been a blessing in ways, because it's been really rewarding speaking to people, especially people that are younger than me, and helping them feel a little bit better about their case."

Heart block is a condition where your heart beats too slowly or your heartbeat is not steady.

According to the NHS, it can happen if the electrical impulses in your heart are blocked or delayed.

It usually only needs treatment if it's causing symptoms, which may include dizziness, fainting or feeling like you're about to faint; chest pain, tiredness or shortness of breath.

Describing his symptoms, George said: "It was mad. I knew something was seriously wrong, because I could hardly breathe, and my arms and my chest were blue - and my face.

"It was a shock more than anything."

His heart rate, he said, was "so low" at the time - around 24 beats per minute - adding that it stayed like that for about eight days while he was in hospital waiting for an operation.

"I couldn't physically feel anything that was going on, but I was aware of it. There were times where it kind of felt like torture a little bit."

It comes two weeks after George shared an update on social media to say he had been rushed to A&E in the middle of the night.

"I've had better days," the exhausted looking singer told fans from his hospital bed.

Manchester-born George rose to fame in the 2010s with the British-Irish boyband The Wanted.

They went on to have chart hits with songs such as Glad You Came, Chasing the Sun and All Time Low.

He also appeared in the US musical series Glee and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, where he met his girlfriend, former EastEnders star Maisie Smith.