Prince 'Fighting Flu After Emergency Landing'

Singer Prince was on board a flight when he fell ill, forcing the private plane to make an emergency landing, according to reports.

A representative for the singer told entertainment website TMZ that Prince had performed in Atlanta on Thursday night despite having the flu, and felt worse after boarding the jet following his show.

The concert was originally scheduled for last week, but was postponed after the 57-year-old came down with the virus several weeks ago.

Prince's plane diverted to Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois, and the singer was reportedly rushed to hospital in a "medical emergency", TMZ said.

The representative said Prince "was released three hours later, got back on the plane and is now back home" recovering in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

A few hours after the scare, the singer's official Twitter account posted the enigmatic message "I am #transformed," before linking to favourable reviews of the Atlanta show and tweeting that he was listening to Controversy, the title track to his 1981 album.

Fans flooded his Instagram page to wish him a speedy recovery.

"I don't know you personally... but I hope you're okay. I have lots of love for you, like if you were part of my family," one fan said.