Who is replacing James Bourne on the 'Busted Vs McFly' Tour? All you need to know

The Busted Vs McFly Tour kicked off in Birmingham on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The concept is pitched as a "battle of the bands" showdown. It is bringing Britain's two beloved 2000s pop-rock acts head-to-head.

Recently, Busted's James Bourne announced that he would not be taking part due to health reasons. James explained the decision in an official social media statement. He wrote:

"There is a lot of information I still don't have about my condition."

He admitted he was "really sorry" to step back and hoped he could rejoin soon. To fill the absence of Bourne, Matt Willis introduced James' younger brother, Chris Bourne, as his replacement in the Busted Vs McFly Tour.

Who is Chris Bourne?

Chris previously made a cameo in Busted's Year 3000 music video. According to Matt, he first picked up the guitar at the age of six. Matt Willis said on the stage:

"We still have a Bourne with us, we still have a Bourne!"

Willis also revealed that they had briefly considered having a member of McFly cover James' parts. However, Bourne was adamant that it was not an option. Instead, he suggested his brother.

Notably, James Bourne did not go into detail about his illness. However, his message to fans mentioned the need to "focus on the medical stuff for now." His complete note was as follows:

"The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as I have been all year for this tour to begin, I'm really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows :-("

He continued to talk about his absence from the Busted Vs McFly Tour:

"There is 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. I really hope I can be in a position to come back further down the line. It's still going to be an amazing show and I will miss being there! See you all as soon as possible."

On stage, Willis told the Birmingham audience: