Susan Boyle too ill to perform on Christmas TV special

Scottish singer Susan Boyle has been forced to drop out of an appearance on a U.K. talk show after falling ill with a virus.

The I Dreamed A Dream star was set to perform Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire during a pre-recorded Christmas special of The Jonathan Ross Show, set to air on 28 December (13).

However, after struggling through a rehearsal, Boyle's slot was axed.

A representative for the star says, "Susan picked up a virus when she was in New York and had a very bad throat infection. It was nothing more than that. She tried very hard to perform, but was unable to do so in the end. Unfortunately her appearance had to be cancelled."

The latest cancellation comes after the 52 year old scrapped a show in Abu Dhabi on Friday (13Dec13) due to "production difficulties".