The Wanted star Max George said he has returned home for Christmas after being discharged from hospital following heart surgery.
In a video shared late on Christmas Eve, the singer said he was waiting for his girlfriend, actress Maisie Smith, to join him, describing it as the “best present ever”.
George, 36, revealed on Saturday he had a pacemaker fitted during a two-and-a-half hour operation to address a 2:1 heart block.
In a video posted to his Instagram Story, he said: “Merry Christmas everyone.
“I just wanted to say that I am back home waiting for my beautiful girlfriend to arrive at some point.
“Best present ever – thanks for the love.”
Alongside the video, in which he was sat on a sofa, George wrote: “See you soon @maisiesmithofficial”.
George got to know former EastEnders star Smith, 23, when they both competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 but they said their romance began in 2022.
Smith is starring in a pantomime production of Beauty And The Beast at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, Kent. She performed on Christmas Eve, with her next show scheduled for Boxing Day afternoon.
In another clip shared from his hospital bed earlier in the day, George said he was feeling “knackered” but that his “numbers are way better”.
He said: “Few more tests to do over the next couple of weeks, something to do with my lungs but that’s the least of my worries right now.”
“All good, bit battered and bruised and knackered, but…” he added as he gave a thumbs up to the camera.
George said earlier this month he was in hospital due to “issues with my heart”.
Doctors discovered he had a 2:1 block on his heart and needed urgent surgery because his heart rate was not improving.
Following the operation, George hailed the pacemaker as “the best Christmas present” in an Instagram post with a photo of the scar on the left of his chest.
The singer revealed the surgeon placed the pacemaker under a “special tattoo” which says 04/08/1988 in reference to the birthday of his late bandmate Tom Parker, adding: “So I’m sure it’s being looked after”.
Parker, who rose to fame in the 2010s in boy band The Wanted alongside George, died in 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
As well as a string of hit songs with The Wanted, George has also appeared in US musical series Glee.
