Ever since singer Adele announced she is stepping away from music, fans have been curious as to the reason why.

Now, as she prepares to wrap up her final shows, Adele has revealed that she’s been left partially deaf after she contracted a rare and painful ear infection.

Adele Is ‘A Bit Deaf’

“I actually have an ear infection, which is actually pretty grim. I’ve never had an ear infection before,” Adele, 36, told fans at her Las Vegas residency last week.

“It is the most painful thing that ever, ever happened to me in my life,” she continued. “It was worse than childbirth.”

Adele went on to explain that she picked up a “rare water bacteria” during her 10-date residency in Munich, Germany this summer.

“[It] is hard to treat, so I was on the wrong antibiotics for a few days,” she recalled. She added that the pain was so bad that she wanted to “chop my ear off.”

“They managed to give me one that started to work. I’m no longer in pain, which is great, [but] I’m a bit deaf in my left ear,” she admitted.

Adele then said that despite this, “there was no way” that she would miss the show regardless of how much pain she’s in.

Related: Adele Breaks Down In Tears As She Hugs Céline Dion In The Audience Of Her Vegas Residency

Adele’s Previous Infection

This isn’t the first time that Adele has suffered from a painful infection. Last year, she revealed that after having to perform under the hot lights at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, she was left with a fungal skin infection.

“It is a bit crude but I never knew it existed,” she said at the time. “Obviously, when I do my shows I wear Spanx and keep it all in and make it all fit me.”

“And I sweat a lot and it doesn’t go anywhere,” she continued. “So basically I just sit in my own sweat.”

Adele’s Las Vegas residency began in November of 2022. Back in May, Adele was forced to postpone her performances and “take a beat” by going on vocal rest. 

“I was sick at the end of the last leg and all the way through my break,” she said at the time. “I hadn’t quite gotten the chance to get back to full health before shows resumed, and now I am sick again and unfortunately it’s all taken a toll on my voice.”

Adele To Take A Break ‘For An Incredibly Long Time’

The final performance of the residency is scheduled for November 23. Last month, Adele revealed that she plans to take a break from performing “for an incredibly long time” after she finishes up in Las Vegas.

“I have 10 shows to do, but after that I will not see you for an incredibly long time, and I will hold you dear in my heart,” she said. “It has been amazing. I just need a rest.”

“I have spent the last seven years building a new life for myself and I want to live it now,” she continued through tears. She concluded by saying that she wants “to live my life that I’ve been building and I will miss you terribly.”

Full Story: Is Adele Quitting Music? Singer Announces Hiatus: ‘I Will Not See You For an Incredibly Long Time’

It’s unclear if Adele’s partial deafness played a factor in this decision. Please join us in saying a prayer for Adele and her health moving forward!

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