George Michael Cancels Aus Tour Over ‘Major Anxiety’

George Michael has cancelled his upcoming Australian tour due to “major anxiety” that has “plagued” him since leaving hospital last December.

Ex-Wham frontman Michael battled life-threatening pneumonia at the end of last year, which forced him to spend a month in a Vienna hospital. Despite playing a number of shows in Europe, he said in a statement that coming back to Australia would be too much – a decision which he said “breaks my heart”.

In his statement he said, “All I can say at this time is that since last year's illness I have tried in vain to work my way through the trauma that the doctors who saved my life warned me I would experience. They recommended complete rest and the type of post traumatic counselling which is available in cases like mine but… I was wrong to think I could work my way through the major anxiety that has plagued me since I left Austria last December.”

The news made major headlines in the UK, including the BBC, even though he will be completing his UK shows this month.

The Australian shows in Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Hunter Valley are unlikely to be rescheduled any time soon and refunds are currently being issued.

“All that's left for me to do is apologise to my wonderful Australian fan base,” Michael said, “and to promise faithfully that as soon as I complete these shows here in the UK I will receive the treatment which is so long overdue.”