Busted reunion: UK tour and new songs announced – with Charlie Simpson back in the band

The original line-up of pop-rock boyband Busted are back, as Charlie Simpson has rejoined the group for their first arena tour in 12 years.

The band are set to tour the UK in May 2016, with tickets for the shows on sale this Friday at 9am.

The three-piece, whose debut album was released in 2002, enjoyed three years of chart success before splitting in 2005 when Simpson decided to leave the group.

Busted announced their reunion at a press conference, as well as revealing a video about their time as a band on their official YouTube page via Twitter.

In the video, Charlie Simpson reveals that the trio have also been working on new material. “[James] basically rang me up and said, do you fancy going to the studio, and let’s just spend a few days writing and see what comes out,” he says. “We spent these four days in Philadelphia and we came up with these three or four songs, and I remember thinking this sounds really awesome.”

Speaking at the press conference, where the band revealed that they will be playing 'all the hits' in the tour, Simpson said: "This has been a gradual process. I honestly think that I've lost count of the times I said I'd never do it again. And I meant it. But I've changed my mind, which is down to consequence. That consequence was getting back together in Philadelphia and recording."

He admitted: "It's been a weird journey but a natural one."

James Bourne said that the reunion tour is a "chance to go home to where we belong."

When they split in January 2005, the band called a press conference where Charlie Simpson announced: “I am here to tell you that I’ve quit Busted.” The singer attempted to “quash” rumours that he was embarrassed about being in the band.

In the same press conference, band member James Bourne said: “We always had this understanding between the three of us that if any one of us left, we would all call it quits because we want Busted to be remembered as the three of us.”

While the band members pursued various musical projects in the subsequent years, James Bourne and Matt Willis joined super-group McBusted in 2013. Simpson was not part of the band, who toured extensively and released a self-titled album in 2014.