Celine Dion has cancelled her next two months of gigs in Las Vegas under doctor's orders.

Professor Gerald Berke MD, a leading medical expert on laryngeal physiology at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, has discovered a weakness in Celine's right vocal chord, secondary to a viral illness.

Professor Berke has ordered Celine to take the next 6-8 weeks off work in order to completely rest her voice and recover from the condition.

'I tried to sing at my sound-check last week, and I had no control of my voice whatsoever,' said Celine. 'We thought that after a few days rest I would improve but it wasn't getting any better.I guess it was worse than I thought. I'm fortunate that I was able to see Professor Berke. He identified what was causing the problems I was having, and he assured me that with the amount of rest he prescribed, I would be back to 100%. Obviously this is the worst thing for a singer..not being able to do your shows. I feel worse knowing that I'm disappointing my fans. I'm so sorry...I hope they forgive me.'

Celine is due to recommence performances on June 9 through to August 19 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.