Céline Dion was reportedly forced to withdraw from a planned surprise appearance at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland.
The singer, 57, who has been suffering long-term health complications linked to her ongoing battle with stiff person syndrome, had been due to perform Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi – the song with which she won Eurovision for Switzerland in 1988.
French newspaper Le Parisien reported Céline was in Basel for the event but apparently experienced a medical episode that prevented her from taking the stage.
Even though her performance had been kept secret, presenter Graham Norton fuelled speculation during the live broadcast by referencing her possible involvement.
Céline has spoken candidly about her health struggles since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in December 2022.
The rare neurological disorder causes severe muscle spasms and stiffness, often leaving sufferers with mobility difficulties.
In her 2023 Prime Video documentary I Am: Céline Dion, she described how the illness had affected her daily life.
Céline said: “I barely could walk at one point and I was missing very much living.
“My kids started to notice. I was like, ‘OK, they already lost a parent. I don’t want them to be scared’.
“I let them know, ‘You lost your dad, but mum has a condition and it’s different. I’m not going to die. It’s something that I’m going to learn to live with’.”
Her diagnosis forced her to cancel her planned world tour in 2023 and retreat from live performances while undergoing intensive treatment and physiotherapy.
She has explained how even simple tasks such as using stairs or singing for extended periods became extremely challenging.
The Canadian star, who has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, had hoped her Eurovision return would mark a symbolic step back into live performance.
Instead, fans were left disappointed when her name was absent from the final line-up in Basel.
Céline first rose to global fame after her Eurovision victory in Dublin in 1988 and went on to build one of the most successful careers in music history, with hits including The Power of Love, Because You Loved Me and My Heart Will Go On, the Oscar-winning theme to Titanic in 1997.