Sam Smith cancels Australian tour due to vocal chord haemorrhage: 'It kills me'

Grammy-winner Sam Smith has been forced to cancel his Australian tour due to a haemorrhage on his vocal chords.

The 22-year-old announced that he has been "vocally exhausted" so doctors have ordered him to rest his voice.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Smith explained: "I am deeply, deeply saddened to tell my Australian fans, I have to cancel my Australian tour. I have been vocally exhausted for a while now, however, last night in Sydney I had a small hemorrhage on my vocal chords.

"The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal cords have healed, otherwise this could become a huge long-term issue. I am so sorry to all who have bought tickets, I truly am."

He added: "This kills me."

The Stay With Me hitmaker had been scheduled to perform at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on 28 April, the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on 30 April and Adelaide's AEC Theatre on 1 May.

In addition to a concert at the HBF Stadium in Perth on 5 May, the Brit-winner has also cancelled his performance at the Logies Awards in Melbourne on 3 May.

Promising to reschedule the cancelled dates, Smith told his Instagram followers: "I love you all and I am so sorry x please keep your eye on my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram for re arranged December dates."

The Money On My Mind singer has already performed several shows Down Under, including a gig in Brisbane on 26 April, for which The Guardian surprisingly gave a three-star review and claimed the crooner "fail[ed] to convince".

Although understandably devastated, fans have sent their well wishes to the Lay Me Down singer, tweeting:

Until his illness, it looked as though Smith had been enjoying his time in Australia and even got a new tattoo of an anchor in honour of his fans, whom he refers to as "sailors".