The 46-year-old singer was due to kick off the European leg of her comeback I Look to You tour in Paris tonight, but yesterday released a statement saying an upper respiratory infection had forced her to cancel. Whitney said her doctor had prohibited her from performing, much to her dismay.

"Whitney deeply regrets having been forced to postpone the show," the statement read.

The concert run is now scheduled to begin in Manchester, England, on Thursday, with the singer planning a make-up show in the French capital at a later date.

Fears for Whitney`s health were sparked when her latest world tour kicked off in Australia in February. The singer appeared "breathless" and "disorientated" throughout several of her shows, but later insisted she was in excellent health. She now says she was not upset by the criticism of her performances, insisting it made her more eager than ever to prove people wrong.

"If anything, I think I have more passion now for the shows," she said.

Meanwhile, Whitney is already planning her next album. She is desperate to collaborate with Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.i.am, and hopes they can record a duet in the near future.

"Of any current stars that are around right now, I would love to work with Will.i.am," she told British newspaper The Daily Mirror. "He is always at the top of my list."
sections: Celebrities