Bonnie Tyler, the legendary voice behind ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, has reportedly been placed in an induced coma following emergency surgery while in Portugal.
The 74-year-old singer had been preparing for a busy run of international dates this year, but was taken to a hospital in Faro—close to a property she owns—where she underwent urgent intestinal surgery.
After the operation, doctors put Tyler into an induced coma to support her recovery and give her body time to heal, according to her representatives.
“Bonnie has been put into an induced coma by her Doctors to aid her recovery. We know that you all wish her well and ask for privacy at this difficult time please,” manager Matt Davis confirmed. “We will issue a further statement when we are able to.”
The latest update comes after a message shared on her website on May 6, which informed fans of the emergency procedure and noted she was recuperating afterward. It stated: “We are very sorry to announce that Bonnie has been admitted to hospital in Faro, Portugal, where she has a home, for emergency intestinal surgery. “The surgery went well and she is now recuperating. We know that all of her family, friends, and fans will be concerned about this news and will be wishing her well for a full and swift recovery.”
Details of the exact procedure have not been made public. In general, recovery following intestinal surgery can take around four to eight weeks, with full recuperation sometimes extending to two or three months—meaning a return to the stage may not be immediate.
Tyler had been due to appear at the SummerLUST Music Festival in Għaxaq, Malta on May 22, followed by a concert in Wiesmoor, Germany on May 30. She is also listed for more than two dozen further European dates across 2026.
Her most recent live performance was in London in March.
Tyler, who was born and raised in Wales, has previously spoken about her long-standing connection to Portugal’s Algarve, dating back to the 1970s when she spent time there recording.
“I loved it so much that I bought a house there,” she wrote in The Guardian in 2001.
“Even 20 years on, the place is still very raw and unspoilt, although a lot of Portugal has been ruined.”
Alongside her home in Portugal, Tyler also owns a period property in Swansea, South Wales, and has split her time between the two locations for years.