The cancellation of her two Auckland shows - on August 2 & 3 - is being blamed on a “flu virus” that forced her to abandon two Australian shows. The Auckland concerts will not be rescheduled, and ticket-holders are being offered their money back. Fans who arrived at Vector Arena for her show were greeted by closed doors, dimmed lights and a sign that said “Frontier Touring Company regretfully announces that tonight’s show has been cancelled.”

In a press release, Aguilera apologised to her Kiwi fans. “I would like to apologise once again to all of my fans here in New Zealand for having to cancel my last two shows of my tour,” she said. “This is my first time in your beautiful country and I have really been looking forward to performing for you all. “Unfortunately, I caught a bad flu virus and I have not been able to recover in time. Thank you all for your continued love and support and I can’t wait for the next time.

Fans are disappointed the cancellations were made at 5pm on the evening of her first concert - just hours before she was due to take the stage. “People have incurred costs such as travel and hotels this is simply not on,” one fan said in an email to Stuff.co.nz. “I am absolutely gutted that this could happen at the last minute. She should’ve cancelled way before this,” said another. Other fans sympathised with Aguilera’s illness. “I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the concert, as I would have been thinking, ‘is she going to collapse … is she okay right now?’,” a concerned fan said. “At the end of the day, it’s her health and baby at risk, and she’s got to look after herself.

Refunds for both shows are available from Ticketmaster from Friday, August 3, at 9am.