Culture Club have abandoned their proposed tour - their first in 12 years - following doctor's orders that Boy George stop singing. It is believed that the singer may require throat surgery.

“To say I’m devastated barely touches how I feel,” George, 53, wrote on Facebook. “In true British fashion, I have ignored it, thinking the problem might just be tiredness,” he explained. But a Los Angeles doctor sent “a series of cameras down [his] throat”, uncovering a haemorrhaged polyp that won’t close when George sings.

“I have been advised by doctors that to continue singing with this polyp would further damage my voice and could cause irreparable damage... I feel gutted to be letting people down. I will definitely get better, and see you all soon.”

The band are set to release Tribes, their first album since 1999, early next year.