A POP star on tour made sure he stopped off in Bournemouth to visit a special fan in hospital with leukaemia.

Blue singer Lee Ryan popped by the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on Friday to see Malcolm Briggs, who is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant.

The 57-year-old retail manager first met the band when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in October 2013. Now, he is relying on the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan to find a matching donor willing to save his life.

He said: “I was a fan of Blue when they originally formed, so when I heard they’d reunited, I was thrilled to be invited as a VIP guest by one of my friends who knew the band.

“It all got even more exciting when I was invited backstage to say hello to the boys and we all hung out.”

Lee heard about Malcolm’s current condition through a mutual friend and, remembering the ‘top bloke’ he had met backstage, decided to pay Malcolm a visit to offer his support and boost his search for a donor.

He said: “I remember Malcolm well from a couple of years ago and he is an absolutely top bloke. We had a good laugh backstage and it was clear that he’s someone who loves life and has brilliant mates around him.

“I’m so sorry to now hear that he’s in need of a bone marrow transplant. Malcolm’s life now depends on a stranger who’s taken the step of joining the Anthony Nolan register.

“The least I can do is try and spread the word about how easy and important it is to sign up and save a life,” he added.

After he was initially diagnosed with blood cancer, Malcolm went into remission after months of hospital treatment. However, the leukaemia returned in January this year with the best hope of a cure being a bone marrow transplant.

“None of my three siblings is a match for me, so I’ll need to find a total stranger on the Anthony Nolan register whose tissue type matches my own,” Malcolm said.

Ann O’Leary, head of register development at Anthony Nolan, said: “We’re so grateful to Malcolm and Lee for helping to spread this vital and lifesaving message.

“Joining the register involves filling in an online form and providing a saliva sample.

“It’s remarkable that something so simple could be absolutely life-changing for Malcolm,” she added.