Australian singer-actor Betty Who has revealed she was hospitalised-level sick with an E. coli infection that forced her to pull out of a high-profile appearance at The Festival, a new Broadway-themed music event held in New York's Hudson Valley. Sharing the news via Instagram Story, the 34-year-old, born Jessica Newham and who uses she/they pronouns, said she flew to New York already feeling unwell but tried to push through, only to realise on arrival that she urgently needed medical attention.

Who had been due to headline the festival's opening night, host a campfire sing-along and premiere her new musical "Love Somebody" at the inaugural three-day event, dubbed "Coachella for Broadway" and held at the Hutton Brickyards from 14 to 16 August alongside stars including Audra McDonald and Kelli O'Hara. She described it as possibly "the sickest I've ever been," detailing symptoms including vomiting and an inability to keep water down, and posted a photo from what she said was day nine of the illness, noting she was improving but not yet back to full strength.