JIMMY OSMOND has been diagnosed with a stroke after becoming unwell as he came off stage following a pantomime performance in Birmingham.
The US pop singer, 55, was rushed to hospital after appearing as Captain Hook in a production of Peter Pan at the Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday.
His spokesperson said the star had completed the performance and signed autographs for fans before receiving treatment.
"On the evening of Thursday 27 December, after pushing through the evening's performance of Peter Pan at Birmingham Hippodrome, Jimmy Osmond was driven straight to hospital and diagnosed with a stroke," the spokesperson said.
"He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year."
Jimmy, who came to fame singing with his brothers in The Osmonds as a boy in the early 1970s, is now taking time out to recover and will not return to the production.
"We all send Jimmy and his family very best wishes for a speedy recovery”
Sadly, Jimmy Osmond will no longer be appearing in performances of Peter Pan due to ill health.
More information here: https://t.co/WeoE8myey2 pic.twitter.com/gCJbEa16QM
— Birmingham Hippodrome (@brumhippodrome) December 31, 2018
Known back then as 'Little Jimmy', Osmond was the youngest sibling in the family troupe and became the most young person to achieve a UK #1 single with Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool when he was aged just nine.
No further details about his condition have been released.
Darren Day, who started rehearsing on Monday, will replace Osmond in the role of Captain Hook in the panto from later this week.
The American entertainer's understudy Luke Redford will cover the role in the meantime, the venue said.
Chief executive Fiona Allan said: "Everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome has been deeply saddened to hear of Jimmy's sudden illness.
"Jimmy loved being a part of the Hippodrome's well-renowned panto, and his portrayal of Captain Hook was both dastardly and heartwarming.
"He won the adoration not just of our audiences, but also of all our staff - we all send Jimmy and his family very best wishes for a speedy recovery."
Get well soon!
