Ariana Grande: I was forced to cancel US shows because of tomato allergy

Pop star Ariana Grande has revealed the reason she was forced to postpone two concerts in the US through illness was because of a tomato allergy.

The singer was due to take to the stage in her home state of Florida this week, with stops in the cities of Orlando and Tampa, but was forced to pull out after being taken ill.

It was not immediately clear why the performances were cancelled, but Grande has now said an allergy to tomatoes caused her throat to swell up. She wrote on Instagram: "Update: we discovered ..... that ..... i had an unfortunate allergic reaction to tomatoes and my throat pretty much closed.

"Still feels like i'm swallowing a cactus but slowly making progress! thank u all for your love and understanding. can't wait to get back to performing and to make it up to Tampa and Orlando in November."

She added: "p.s. there is NOTHING MORE UNFAIR THAN AN ITALIAN WOMAN DEVELOPING AN ALLERGY TO TOMATOES IN HER MID TWENTIES......."

Grande, who was born in the Florida city of Boca Raton, said tickets already purchased for the postponed performances will be valid for the rearranged dates in November

The singer is currently on her Sweetener World Tour, which kicked off in March in Albany, New York.

Grande is set to perform in the UK and Ireland later this year, with dates in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield and Dublin planned.

She will headline Manchester Pride in August, returning to the city more than two years after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her concert in May 2017.