James Bourne Credits Brother Chris for Saving His Life After Kidney Donation

According to a report from BBC UK, Busted star James Bourne stated that his brother saved his life through the donation of a kidney, following a prognosis from doctors that suggested he had only a few years remaining to live.

James Bourne, who is 43 years old, had withdrawn from an arena tour that featured his band and fellow punk-pop group McFly in September 2025, just one day before the scheduled start. He attributed his absence to health problems and was subsequently replaced on the tour by his younger brother, Chris.

James later disclosed that he required major surgery to extend his life and has since expressed gratitude toward his 'hero,' Chris, noting that both he and Chris are currently recovering from their respective transplant operations.

James shared on Monday that his condition was serious, and doctors had informed him he had a few years left to live. He announced that his youngest brother, Chris, who had covered for him on the tour last year, had saved his life by donating one of his kidneys. James added that he was already feeling significantly better and that while he still needed time to recover, he wanted to inform people that both he and his brother were recovering well from the surgery.

Chris posted a message on X stating, "We did it brother."

Bourne has not provided further specifics regarding his health condition. The guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter gained recognition with Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis in Busted in the early 2000s, achieving UK number one singles with tracks such as "What I Go To School For," "Year 3000," and "Crashed the Wedding." The trio achieved four number one singles in the UK before disbanding in 2005. In 2013, Bourne and Willis collaborated with McFly to form McBusted, and Simpson rejoined Busted for a full reunion in 2015. Bourne has also contributed songs to McFly and 5 Seconds of Summer, and has fronted his own group, Son of Dork. He recently released music from his stage musical, Murder at the Gates.