MEGASTAR IS

LOWERING herself into an icy bath, Madonna grimaces at what she is putting herself through, gasping in pain as her 25-year-old dancer boyfriend Ahlamalik Williams sits attentively nearby.

Madonna’s 93-date tour across America and Europe would be gruelling for any performer, let alone one aged 61.

Already the Madame X tour, which began in September, has been plagued by cancellations – eight so far – on doctor’s orders, as she battles “overwhelming pain” and exhaustion.

This is despite a suite of treatments to keep her going – including blood transfusions, ice baths and massages.

With a net worth of more than £400million and having sold in excess of 300 million records, the Queen of Pop has little left to prove to anyone.

But there’s more to her determination that the show must go on than a desire for more money or even more fame.

Ahead of one axed show, she told fans:

“Doing my show every night brings me so much joy and to cancel is a kind of punishment for me.

“But the pain I’m in right now is overwhelming and I must rest and follow doctors’ orders so I can come back stronger and better and continue the Madame X journey with all of you.”

It’s easy to see why Madonna’s energetic performances leave her in agony. The mum-of-six’s stage routines look exhausting – high kicks, twerking and doing the splits one minute, then being hauled across the stage by her dance troupe the next.

Even in a quieter moment, she still does the splits while serenading fans with songs from her most recent album, named after her alter ego

Transfusion helps keep star from flaking out Overworked body gets prepared for another gig Madonna’s 61-year-old legs need some extra support

Uncomfortable dips are good for sore muscles