Country music icon Dolly Parton died on Tuesday at the age of 80, days after briefly acknowledging health problems in an interview with People magazine. Insiders have told the Daily Mail that Parton was far sicker for much longer than she let on, having deliberately concealed the true extent of her illness from fans while publicly attributing her decline to grief following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March last year. Sources say she knew her time was running out but chose to maintain her glamorous public image rather than let fans see her fade.

Parton's health struggles were compounded by the death of her older brother, Coy "Denver" Parton, in July, and she had become increasingly reclusive at her Tennessee compound, confiding only in a tight circle of family and friends. In May she cancelled a planned Las Vegas residency, telling fans via Instagram that she was responding well to treatment, while insiders say she remained fully made-up and wigged for the video to appear "camera-ready". She was admitted to hospital in Nashville last Friday, and her team confirmed on Tuesday evening that she had died following a "brief battle" with cancer.