Lord of the dance fights for his life

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Michael Flatley: fighting for his life

Michael Flatley is critically ill with a mystery infection that is said to be attacking his entire body.

The 48-year-old Riverdance star is being treated today at a Harley Street hospital after falling ill at his London home.

His dancer wife, Niamh O'Brien, 32, who is four months pregnant, is at his bedside. They married last month.

A source said there was mounting concern-among his friends, adding: "Michael is a very fit man but he is in the fight of his life. At first no one realised how serious it was but it soon became obvious that he is really ill."

All 20 European dates for his latest production, Celtic Tiger, have been cancelled.

Flatley's Lord Of The Dance show wowed audiences around the world and he is reportedly worth £350 million. well as his London home he has houses in Barbados, Chicago, France and Ireland.

At the height of his fame in the late Nineties he had his legs insured for £21 million. Flatley was taken ill two weeks ago.

His spokesman said : "Michael is seriously ill." A friend added: "Michael is in a bad way. He has an all over infection that is attacking every part of his body."

Flatley's publicist confirmed the star had been receiving treatment in hospital. "There are no further details at the moment," she said.

Earlier this year Flatley had another health scare. In April he spoke out about his discovery that he had facial skin cancer but insisted he had been completely cured.

Flatley married O'Brien, his leading lady in the Celtic Tiger troupe, in a lavish ceremony in County Cork last month after a whirlwind romance.

Father Aidan Troy, a close friend who officiated at the ceremony, said: "I spoke to him about two weeks ago and he was in hospital in London. I asked him at the time how he was and he said, 'Fine, I'll be out in a while'."

Father Troy added: "I'm obviously concerned having just been involved in his wedding.

"Genuinely I'm shocked. Without being unkind he's not 18. I thought initially it may be exhaustion or stress."

Flatley and O'Brien first met on the set of Riverdance in 1993 but only became an item earlier this year.

Flatley, who split with fiancée Lisa Murphy earlier this year after almost six years together, has been married before. In 1986 he wed Polish beauty Beata Dziaba in a register office in Copenhagen. The couple divorced in 1997.

In 2003 real estate agent Tyna Marie Robertson accused the dancer of rape in a Las Vegas hotel and through her lawyer demanded a large financial settlement in return for not going public.

He said it was consensual sex and the case was dropped. He then sued her lawyer for blackmail and extortion.

The global hit Riverdance was first showcased at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin in 1994. Flatley went on to create his own shows Lord Of The Dance, Feet Of Flames and Celtic Tiger. Flatley, who was born in Detroit to Irish parents, has been dancing since he was 11. He also trained as a boxer and won the Golden Gloves Championship at 17. Flatley's first professional break came when he joined Irish traditional band The Chieftains in the 1980s.

 

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