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‘She went down’: Idol judge Marcia Hines hospitalised after collapse

<i>Idol</> judge Marcia Hines sparked alarm with a dressing room collapse on Sunday.

Idol judge Marcia Hines sparked alarm with a dressing room collapse on Sunday. Photo: Instagram/Marcia Hines

Australian Idol judge Marcia Hines has spoken out after a medical emergency that left her absent from part one of the show’s live finals.

Hines reportedly collapsed in a dressing room at the Sydney Coliseum Theatre in Rooty Hill on Sunday afternoon.

An ambulance was called to rush the 70-year-old singer to hospital after she collapsed and injured her head.

“You will have spotted that we are missing someone very important and very special to the Idol family. Unfortunately Marcia is unwell and unable to join us tonight,” host Ricki-Lee Coulter told viewers on Sunday.

But judge Kyle Sandilands interjected to offer more information.

“Sorry, sorry. That’s a real downplay. She was taken out of here in an ambulance,” he said.

“Just so that everyone knows. She’s fine. She’s well. But she didn’t just ring up with a headache. She went down.”

Later in the day, Hines shared a post to her Instagram page to reassure fans, and revealing she plans to return to Monday’s final.

“I’m very sorry that I’m not there with you all tonight. It’s been a big few days of work and I was feeling a little unwell,” she wrote.

“I’m resting up now so I can be back with you all tomorrow night.”

Hines, who is a Type-1 diabetic, didn’t offer any more information about Sunday’s alarming incident. The Daily Telegraph reports that Idol production staff were told Hines’ medical issue was related to her diabets.

“Marcia had a medical emergency and was rushed to hospital,” they said.

Hines reportedly spent Sunday night in hospital for observation but was due to be released on Monday.

Guy Sebastian stepped in as a guest judge on Sunday, while another Idol alumni, Shannon Noll, performed. Sebastian said he was alerted to the last-minute change when he arrived to rehearse his performance of his new song Antidote.

“We were just sound-checking and when we got there, it was quite a sombre mood,” he told Seven’s Sunrise on Monday.

“She [Marcia] had to leave and from what I know, she’s OK, that was the main concern at the start.”

Australian Idol finishes on Monday night. Denvah Baker-Moller from Rockhampton, Amy Reeves from Broome, and Dylan Wright from NSW’s northern rivers are in the running for this year’s title.

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