Busted opened the long‑anticipated Busted vs McFly tour on Tuesday night in Birmingham without guitarist and songwriter James Bourne, who pulled out of the run due to ill health.
Onstage, Matt Willis told the crowd, "You may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight. James Bourne is really f***ing sick and we love him and we miss him." He added that the group had to adapt for the first time, calling it "the first show we've ever played without him" and urging fans to understand that "health is wealth." Charlie Simpson explained that while they did need cover, Bourne did not want a member of McFly to take his place.
Willis announced that James's younger brother, Chris Bourne, would be standing in for the remaining Busted dates, telling the audience, "You might recognise this little guy from the 'Year 3000' video." The replacement performed with Busted for the opening night while the tour proceeds as scheduled.
James Bourne posted a statement on Instagram on Monday to explain his withdrawal. He wrote that in the eight days leading up to the tour he had become "not in good enough health to play these shows," and that "there's a lot of information I still don't have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now." He added that he hoped to "be in a position to come back further down the line" and said he would miss the shows.
Members of McFly also expressed disappointment at Bourne's absence. Drummer Harry Judd commented on social media, "Won’t be the same without you dude. Hope you’re back on Tour asap." Fans responded to Bourne’s post with messages of support and well wishes.
The head‑to‑head tour, promoted as a matchup to let fans decide which band is "better," runs across September, October and November. Busted — comprising Bourne, Simpson and Willis — and McFly — Tom Fletcher, Danny Jones, Harry Judd and Dougie Poynter — said at the tour’s announcement that the shows were structured as separate sets rather than a combined co‑headline format, with surprises planned throughout the run.
Both bands have roots in the 2000s pop‑punk and pop scenes. Busted, formed in Southend‑on‑Sea, have scored four UK number one singles, won two Brit Awards and sold more than five million records worldwide. McFly achieved 18 consecutive UK top‑20 singles, with seven reaching number one, and won the 2005 Brit Award for Best British Pop Act.
The two groups briefly merged into a six‑piece supergroup, McBusted, in 2013 — a collaboration that excluded Charlie Simpson, who had returned to his other projects. McBusted extended an initial 11‑date run to 34 shows in 2014 and later supported One Direction on international legs of their tour. Simpson rejoined Busted in 2015 after a decade away, and the McBusted members resumed separate projects.
Bourne’s absence marks an immediate adjustment for the tour’s opening. Organisers and both bands have continued with the scheduled dates while Bourne addresses his health; no further medical details have been released publicly.