Iconic band's frontman, 77, forced to pull out of UK gig over health fears hours after saying there were ‘no concerns'
Just mere days ago, the Electric Light Orchestra cancelled a huge UK show as fears grew for frontman Jeff Lynne.
4
4
The group embarked on a farewell tour earlier this year that was first announced in October 2024.
The Mr Blue Sky rockers were due to take to the stage at Manchester 's Co-Op Arena this week, but pulled out when a statement was released on social media.
Since their Manchester gig was cancelled, fears have been growing for their BST Hyde Park show.
A spokesman vowed that the concert is going ahead as planned for this Sunday - saying there were "no concerns".
However, just hours later, they were forced to issue a devastating update for fans.
The spokesman said: "Jeff Lynne is heartbroken to report that he will not be able to perform at tomorrow's BST Hyde Park show.
"Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors who have advised him that performing is simply not possible at this time nor will he be able to reschedule.
"The legacy of the band and his longtime fans are foremost in Jeff's mind today - and while he is so sorry that he cannot perform, he knows that he must focus on his health and rehabilitation at this time."
They referred those with tickets to visit the BST Hyde Park website for refunds.
The star had previously battled with a broken hand whilst performing with the group on his farewell concerts.
Electric Light Orchestra Cancels Manchester Farewell Show as Jeff Lynne Falls Ill
4
4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
11 minutes ago
- Sky News
We are entering 'golden age' of cancer treatment - and also facing a less gilded era too
A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer that had spread throughout their body, including their brain. Even a decade ago, their cancer would have been essentially incurable and rapidly fatal. My friend's tumours however are shrinking as their immune system attacks the cancer cells wherever they happen to be in their body. A treatment called immunotherapy is directing their own immune system to find and attack cancer cells in all the parts of the body to which they have spread. It's a familiar story across multiple cancer types with new classes of treatment, often based on rapid advances in understanding of the genetics of cancer - or cancer patients themselves. So the outgoing medical director of the NHS, Sir Stephen Powis, is not wrong: we are entering a "golden era" of cancer treatment, if we're not living in it already. Cancer treatment is becoming increasingly personalised to the specific mutations in the cancer itself. Oncologists know their enemy in more intimate detail than ever before. Tools like AI can sift through that detail to identify new vulnerabilities in cancer cells and techniques like gene editing allow scientists to design previously impossible new ways of exploiting them to slow, or reverse the spread of cancers. But we're entering a parallel and less gilded era too. Cancer is primarily a disease of ageing and our population is doing that rapidly. 1:09 It is also more common in those who eat and drink too much and exercise little - which is most of us - and explains why cancer rates are now, perhaps for the first time in human history, increasing in younger people too. As Sir Stephen points out, prevention must play an important role in reducing that increasing burden. It already has for some: smoking-related lung cancer is declining, so too is cervical cancer thanks to HPV vaccination in schools. But the bulk of cancers linked to poor diet, poor air quality, or poverty in general are not. We're also failing to make sure everybody benefits from the incredible new treatments available and those yet to come. While people are now getting cancer diagnosed faster in the NHS, many start treatment too late. More than 30% of patients wait more than two months to see a cancer specialist following an "urgent" referral from their GP (well below the NHS target that has not been met since it was introduced in 2015). 1:56 Cancer survival is increasing, but so too is the disparity between those benefitting from the latest treatments and those who aren't. Specialist treatment in some parts of the UK is far better than in others - often those in poorer places where cancer rates are higher. And the latest, and best, cancer treatments - which are largely bespoke-tailored to the patient's needs - are increasingly expensive. Affording these has always been a challenge for the NHS and will only get harder. While the golden era unfolds, much must be done to avoid another in which cancer treatment becomes a two, or even three, tier service that offers the best only to a few.
BBC News
23 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bradford padel centre aims to 'improve health of city residents'
Three healthcare professionals say they are setting up Bradford's first city centre padel club to help tackle health issues in the city. Strike Padel is set to open at Beckside Business Park, Lidget Green, at the end of July, with an exact date due to be announced shortly. Dentist Dr Mohammed Usman is establishing the five-court facility alongside pharmacists Fahad Qureshi and Mohammed Rashad after they noticed a high prevalence of heart conditions in the city. The new centre, currently under construction, will also include a cafe, televisions showing professional padel matches and 13 parking spaces. Padel - a blend of tennis and squash - was invented in Mexico in 1969 but in recent years has grown in popularity, with an estimated 30 million players across the world.A Bradford Council meeting in January heard padel facilities already existed in nearby Ilkley and Rawdon, but this would be the first dedicated centre for the sport in the city of Bradford."I've learned that there's a really high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, in and amongst the population of Bradford," Dr Usman said. "I think that introducing a sport that's going to encourage healthy activity, movement and to encourage people of all ages to play is something that will benefit the area and the people of Bradford."Dr Usman said he and his co-founders had a "lightbulb moment" when they realised people could pick the sport up "really fast"."Working as a team with four players, networking, speaking to people, moving about and just getting a little bit of exercise will increase healthy living," he said. According to government data, the Bradford district has a higher than average rate of cardiovascular disease and is contributes to approximately 28% of all deaths in the Bradford district is also the fifth most income deprived local authority in the UK - and padel is not a cheap pastime. "Membership schemes will allow court booking to be a lot cheaper for people that may struggle to afford it." Dr Usman will also vary throughout the day, with courts being at a lower cost at off-peak Usman said women-only nights would help those who may feel uncomfortable in some sporting settings to feel confident enough to play."It's about inclusivity," Dr Usman said."If someone wasn't comfortable playing racket sports in a mixed environment, we'll allow them to meet other women and play together." 'Health benefits' Mr Qureshi added: "Bringing padel to Bradford has been a passion project that's taken over a year of meticulous planning. "With 2025 marking Bradford's year as the City of Culture, we couldn't think of a better time to introduce this fast-growing and exciting sport to the community. "It's been a real challenge, especially with no prior experience in construction, but the journey has been incredibly rewarding."Mr Rashad added: "One of the main reasons we brought padel to Bradford is because of its wide-ranging health benefits. "It's a low-impact sport that's accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels, yet it provides a full-body workout."I truly love the game, it's fun, fast-paced, and social. "I wanted to bring something new to Bradford and give the local community the chance to enjoy it too." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
St Catherine's Hospice 'needs more vital funding'
A hospice that provides "vital" palliative care is warning that it is not receiving enough money from government or fundraising to support its current level of Catherine's Hospice at Lostock Hall in Preston, Lancashire, is partly funded by the NHS, but has to find more than £5m a year from the community to maintain its executive Lynn Kelly said its annual deficit is running close to £ Department for Health and Social Care has said it is providing an extra £25m to hospices with a further £75m to come. Ms Kelly said the hospice, which opened 40 years ago, costs £8.3m a year to NHS provided 26% last year, this year it was 23%, and ideally she wants a three-year programme to get that figure up to 35%. 'Radical rethink' "The only income line that hasn't increased in recent years in line with inflation is the NHS income, so that is the one we really need to address," she said."The deficit has been growing over the last number of years and that is a concern."She said there needs to be a radical re-think of how hospice services across the country are funded if current demand, and a predicted increase in those needing care is to be met."At the moment there are over 3,000 people who need palliative care in central Lancashire," she said. "In the next 15 years that is going to increase by 55% and deaths from dementia are going to triple, so hospice services are going to be more in demand than ever before."We know already too many people die before we can get to them. "Last year 220 people died before we could get to them and that will only grow if we can't get our funding." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
