Elton John scrapped a sell-out gig in Britain at short notice on Friday night after falling ill with influenza. The "Rocket Man" was due to play to more than 13,000 fans at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England but pulled out just hours before he was due to take the stage for his Red Piano show.

A spokesman for the star put the cancellation down to a serious bout of flu. The rep says, "Elton is terribly disappointed that he is unable to perform tonight's Red Piano show for the people of Sheffield. He has always enjoyed a tremendous reaction from the audiences every time he has performed at the Arena."

The gig is due to be rescheduled shortly. The singer's other concerts next week remain unaffected.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)