Iggy Azalea defends finishing concert despite backing dancer suffering seizure mid-song

Iggy Azalea has defended finishing a concert after one of her backing dancers suffered a seizure mid-song.

The Australian rapper and pop star, best known for her 2014 hit Fancy, was performing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when a dancer collapsed on stage.

Azalea, 28, continued to perform, apparently unaware of the severity of the dancer's condition. Azalea went on to finish the concert at the Maracana Stadium on Thursday.

She has now defended her decision to do so, writing on her Instagram story to give an update on the performer's condition.

Azalea wrote: "Just want to let everyone asking know my dancer is OKAY! The light & heat caused her to have a seizure. She is backstage feeling much better."

The rapper then revealed she thought the dancer had "fallen/twisted her ankle" and that is why she kept singing.

She conceded it "may sound harsh" but you "keep singing until the music stops & ask for a medic which is what I did".

Azalea added: "We are all really shaken up by what happened & just thankful she is okay."

Azalea then urged her fans not to share pictures of the stricken dancer.

She wrote: "I know it's easy to make memes of someone 'passed out' but someone having a seizure isn't funny, it's really scary! So I hope my fans do not repost some of the memes i'm seeing about my dancer."

Reporting by PA.