Jimmy Osmond's return to stage 'off the cards' following stroke, says brother
Jimmy Osmond’s brother Merrill has revealed the singer is unlikely to return to the stage after suffering a stroke last year.
The former child star was taken ill during a pantomime performance in Birmingham last December. He was playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan and, despite feeling unwell, continue to the end of the show.
After the performance, he was taken to hospital where it was confirmed that he’d suffered a stroke.
Now, Merrill has provided an update on his brother’s health, claiming that his chances of returning to the stage are highly unlikely.
Read more: Singer Jimmy Osmond suffers stroke during UK pantomime performance
“I think they are off the cards. I think they are off, brother,” he told the Press Association.
“We used to be called the Osmond Brothers. Now it’s down to Brother Osmond.
“It’s gone. The amount of health issues along (the way), it’s taken everyone pretty well down, except for Donny, Marie and myself.”
He went on to say that his brother was still refusing to see anyone, except for his own family in his home in the US.
Read more: Donny and Marie Osmond's 33-year-old nephew found dead
“He definitely needed space - and he still does. He doesn’t want to meet with anybody,” said Merrill.
“The rest of the time it is basically family, and all the space he needs to get better. We’ve tried to stay around the details of it because he has asked us to not to get into details.
“But it’s a big enough disaster that he just needs to have his life and live it the way he wants.”
Jimmy is the youngest member of his 1970s family band The Osmonds, which consisted of Merrill, Donny, Marie, Jay and David. In 2005, he also made an appearance on I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, just missing out on a place in the final.