Max George gives new health update after emergency pacemaker surgery
max george has described the moment he went "completely blue" and was rushed to hospital, revealing a chain of events that began with a chest infection and ended in emergency heart surgery. The update matters because he is now using his experience to support a British Heart Foundation campaign aimed at raising awareness of cardiovascular illness.
Max George describes going 'completely blue'
The Wanted singer said he woke one morning feeling like he had a severe hangover, then noticed his arms and hands were "completely blue. " He managed to get downstairs and his mother found him; her first reaction was to ask, "What have you done?" He was taken to hospital and within 10 minutes was told he would need either a defibrillator or a pacemaker.
Medical timeline: myocarditis, 2: 1 heart block and pacemaker
Doctors identified a 2: 1 block in his heart and diagnosed myocarditis after a chest infection that developed into pneumonia. The 37-year-old underwent emergency surgery in December 2024 and had a pacemaker fitted that same week. He said his heart rate had fallen to around 24 beats per minute and remained at that level for about eight days while he awaited the operation.
Hospital stay and the eight-day wait
During the hospital stay he described the episode as "a shock" and later called the experience "a blessing in ways" for the conversations it prompted. He said he had to wait about eight days in hospital because doctors needed to stabilise his condition before the operation; during that time he was aware of what was happening but could not physically feel much, and at moments it felt like "torture. " After the procedure he says the pacemaker is "100%" and that he depends on it now, adding that he "wouldn't be here" without it.
British Heart Foundation campaign and 65 red benches
As part of his recovery, max george is supporting a campaign with the British Heart Foundation (BHF). He will meet others living with heart conditions to exchange experiences and help raise awareness. The charity plans to install 65 red benches across the UK — one for each year of its existence — each bearing the name of someone who has survived and a short message about them and their interests. He said he is "genuinely buzzing" to take part and called the campaign "awesome. " What makes this notable is that he is using a personal emergency to draw attention to younger people who can also be affected by heart conditions, challenging the perception that such problems only happen to much older adults.
Career context: The Wanted, Strictly, Glee and Maisie Smith
George rose to fame in the 2010s as a member of The Wanted alongside Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes and Tom Parker. The band had hits including All Time Low, Glad You Came and Chasing The Sun, achieved two UK number one singles and four UK top 10 albums. Tom Parker died in 2022 at the age of 33 following a diagnosis of an inoperable brain tumour. Max has also appeared on the American musical drama Glee and competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020, where he met former EastEnders actress Maisie Smith, who is now his partner.
Public reflections and next steps
He began talking about his heart problems while still in hospital, posting on Instagram originally out of "boredom" and finding that engaging with people helped him process the experience. He has described the discussions as rewarding, particularly when helping younger people with similar diagnoses feel reassured. He has previously had extensive cardiac checks — including a large physical examination before Strictly and a detailed heart scan on another programme — and said the electrical impulses that regulate his heartbeat no longer worked properly until the pacemaker was fitted.
He travelled on tour in America after a two-month layoff from performing, then returned home and began to feel unwell before the emergency hospitalisation. The ITV programme Good Morning Britain carried his interview on February 27, where he spoke about his ordeal and his decision to back the BHF scheme to put the spotlight on cardiovascular disease.
