They shot to fame in 2010 and went on to have a string of hits here in the UK and across the pond before taking an indefinite hiatus in 2014.
But Max George has now revealed that a reunion for boyband The Wanted could happen.
The Swinton-raised singer still feels like he never left the band and despite battling a brain tumour his bandmate Tom would also be up for making it happen.
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Max, 32, who moved to America after the split and went on to play Clint in the hit US series Glee, told us: "In my head I've never left The Wanted.
"I remember when I was on Glee and people would say 'you're an actor' and I was like 'I'm in The Wanted but I do act' and that's how I'd always put it.
"I talk to Tom all the time and we do bring it up now and again, like 'it would be cool to do it again.' And Tom's like 'yeah it would.'
Fellow bandmates Jay McGuinness, Nathan Sykes and Siva Kaneswaran might prove a bit harder to pin down though
"God knows what the other lads think. Like Jay, I don't know where he is. I don't know what country Jay's in right now and he never has a phone so I don't know is the honest answer," he said.
"But I would definitely like to because I think that we've still got more to give and I don't think we quite finished off what we started."
Tom, 33, from Bolton, was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumour, last September and has been sharing updates on his treatment and progress on social media.
The dad of two was told the tumour was inoperable but has updated fans that the treatment has been proving effective in keeping the cancer at bay.
"If you asked Tom, regardless of what he's going through, he wouldn't back down from the challenge," said Max.
"Nothing puts Tom off. He's not human Tom.
"If there was one person that I think could do it out of all of us it would be him over anyone.
"In terms of what he's going through he's doing amazingly well and we're all super proud of him.
"Honestly he's better every time I talk to him."
This summer marks the 10th anniversary of the band's biggest hit Glad You Came, which was number one in the UK and stormed the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
"It feels like time flies. Things that seem more recent seem further away than Glad You Came," he said about the summer banger.
"When I did Glee and moved to America it seems a lifetime ago but that was only six years ago.
"Glad You Came seems like it was yesterday. The whole thing of The Wanted seems like it was yesterday."
He continued: "I do these full circles. I think it was number two at the time, Glee performed it, it was number one and then I got on Glee.
"It was another tie-in. It was a great time.
"It was the time of my life being with the boys and travelling the world."
Max grew up listening to his parents' favourites Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elvis and became a massive Oasis fan, but he never imagined that he'd become a singer.
He was making strides as a footballer when he suffered an injury and turned to music instead.
"I loved music but I never thought I'd be a singer. I always played football," he explained.
"I played for City and I was at Blackburn and Preston."
"I only started singing when I was 16. A friend of mine heard me sing karaoke.
"I started really enjoying it and then I got injured.
"I thought I'd carry on doing a bit of that and then I thought 'you can have a beer when you do music.'
"I got back to football, got offered my first pro deal and I turned it down."
Max, who auditioned for the X Factor in 2005 and again with the boyband Avenue in 2006 before joining The Wanted, says a stand-out moment for him as a pop star was standing on the stage at the Manchester Arena.
"I couldn't name one (stand out moment) because there's loads but I think when the first time we sold out the MEN Arena was personally for me, " he said.
"I remember going to the MEN three or four years before and I was only about 17 and we were supporting McFly and I remember being stood at the side and looking at the McFly lads and I thought 'imagine being them, imagine that feeling, that's the MEN Arena.'
"Four year later and that was me. I remember looking up and the whole place was packed.
"All I could see was phones and I was gobsmacked. I think I actually missed my opening lines that night.
"I was just in awe of being home and in the MEN with my band. I couldn't get my head round it."
In another full circle for Max, who competed in last year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing, he's now hosting the Friday evening show for Hits Radio in Manchester, at the studios where he has fond memories of starting out with The Wanted at Key 103.
"I absolutely love it. I'm so excited to go in there," he said.
"The fact that I'm doing it from Manchester as well, it's a special place for me because I remember going in with The Wanted when we had our first singles and there were loads of fans stood outside and we did a gig in the car park.
"I love it."
He added: "I'm on the other side now. I'm interviewing other artists now.
"Being an artist yourself you kind of learn what to say and what not to say and what to avoid. I feel quite comfortable when I'm interviewing other artists.
"It just feels natural, it feels like home.
"It takes me 10 minutes in the car to drive there and all my mates are having barbecues playing it and it's really nice when we get people calling in for shout-outs.
"I've had a lot of good feedback already and offers to do DJ sets which I didn't expect to be honest.
"I've done takeover shows befpre where you'll do The Wanted takeover or the Max George takeover with a script that you pre-record but with my show I get to say what I want to say and talk to whoever I want to talk to and play the music that I want.
"It's the first time that it's been my own show. I can't believe how much I enjoy it."
Max is also happily loved-up with his girlfriend Stacey Giggs.
"Life's good, especially considering the last 18 months," he told us.
"Everything is good at the moment. We're going to try and get away when we can."
