Jimmy Osmond had to be rushed to hospital after he suffered from a stroke while performing in a pantomime. The American singer was playing the role of Captain Hook during a performance of 'Peter Pan' Birmingham Hippodrome.

The stroke was Osmond's second one in over 15 years. It is has been reported that Jimmy will not be returning to the show which will end on January 27. Osmond's understudy Luke Redford and Darren Day will take his place. 

Jimmy managed to finish the show and also sign autographs for his fans before going to the hospital. A spokesperson shared, "On the evening of Thursday, December 27 after pushing through the evening's performance of Peter Pan at Birmingham Hippodrome, Jimmy Osmond was driven straight to the hospital and diagnosed with a stroke."

"He is grateful for all the well wishes and will be taking time out in the new year," he continued. Earlier last year, Osmond had taken to social media to share his excitement about the role. At the time, he wrote, "Excited to be in panto again and returning to this role of Captain Hook I love letting my inner baddie out, especially in Birmingham at the Hippodrome where I have so many memories!"

Fiona Allan, the artistic director, and chief executive of Birmingham Hippodrome shared, "Everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome has been deeply saddened to hear of Jimmy's sudden illness. Jimmy loved being a part of the Hippodrome's well-renowned panto, and his portrayal of Captain Hook was both dastardly and heartwarming."

"He won the adoration not just of our audiences, but also of all our staff - we all send Jimmy and his family very best wishes for a speedy recovery," Fiona continued.

Jimmy's first stroke was around 15 years ago when he discovered that he had a hole in his heart which resulted in the stroke. He recalled how he was in Missouri at the time and was recording his TV show 'Jimmy Osmond's American Jukebox' when he suddenly got an absolutely blinding headache.

At the time, he shared with DailyMail, "It came on so fast and I could hardly see - it was as if I had tunnel vision. Somehow, I managed to get to the end of the show. How I drove home I have no idea and I should not have done it because I couldn't even see the lines in the middle of the road, but I was desperate to get back to my family and go to bed."

"The following morning I tried to get up but felt so dizzy that I fell over. My vision was still bad and this terrible headache was gnawing away right at the base of my skull," he continued. He was rushed to the hospital by his wife Michelle Larson whom he married in the year 1992. 

"My doctor explained that over time, tiny blood clots that he described as 'particles' had traveled from my heart to my brain, forming a large clot, and this is what had caused the stroke. He warned me that unless I had emergency surgery to close the hole then I was at risk of having another stroke," he shared.

"I remember being on the trolley saying goodbye to Michelle and the kids, then just before I went under the anesthetic, a doctor came waving a liability form for me to sign, saying, 'I have to tell you that this procedure could take your life', which didn't help matters at all."

"The operation, which lasted about an hour, was straightforward but the recovery was painful. Afterward, I spent a week in the hospital until I was fit and able to go home," he continued. 

Jimmy's mother Olive passed away in 2004 from a massive stroke which is now believed to have been caused by an undiagnosed hole in her heart. The defect was believed to be genetic and so Jimmy's eight siblings, his children, nephews, and nieces have all been checked. According to the results, three of Jimmy's brothers, two of his nephews and his daughter Bella all have the same condition.

Jimmy Osmond is the youngest member of the sibling musical group Osmonds, and started to perform at the young age of just three-years-old. By the age of 9, he became the youngest artist to have had a number one in the UK with his hit single 'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool'.