Holden in hospital with kidney infection

Actress Amanda Holden is in hospital with a severe kidney infection she contracted on a surprise holiday organised by her boyfriend, her spokeswoman said today.

The 33-year-old star has been on an antibiotic drip since being rushed in by ambulance on Saturday suffering agonising pain.

She is not expected to return to her lead role in the West End hit Thoroughly Modern Millie until the end of the week at the earliest.

And doctors have warned that her punishing stage routine, which features high-kicking, tap-dancing and singing, may have contributed to her condition.

Holden’s spokeswoman said although the star had been “quite poorly” she was now on the road to recovery.

“It’s severe but it’s not serious,” she said.

“What the doctors said is that possibly because she’s on stage singing and dancing for pretty much the whole show, that combined with maybe not drinking enough fluids has contributed to it.”

But she said the solution would be for Holden to make sure she drank more water, rather than to alter her performance.

“She’d like to get out of hospital, but she’s fine,” the spokeswoman said of Holden’s mood.

The show’s publicist, Sue Hyman, said: “She was on holiday and she got a kidney infection.

“She was due back last night. They hope she’ll be back within the next few days or by the beginning of next week.”

Boyfriend Chris Hughes had whisked Holden off to Spain for a week as a romantic treat.

But towards the end of the stay she began feeling ill and by Saturday when the couple had returned she realised it was serious.

Hughes dialled 999 and she was rushed to a London hospital, where she is expected to remain for at least the next two days.

An ambulance arrived at her home in the north of the city in six minutes.

Understudy Donna Steele will play the role of Millie Dillmount at the Shaftesbury Theatre until Holden, who also stars in the BBC1 comedy Mad About Alice, returns.

The illness meant she missed out on attending the Olivier Awards on Saturday night, where she had been nominated for the Best Actress gong for her part in the 1920s musical.