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Fans have waited 11 years and put up with three postponements of the concert, but the American singer Whitney Houston finally returned to the UK stage last night.

But Whitney's comeback gig on British soil prompted a mixed response from the fans who had looked forward to her return for so long, with one concert-goer describing it as "the biggest shambles I've ever experienced".

Although other fans described the 46-year-old diva's performance as "brilliant", many more were frustrated by technical hitches such as Whitney's head mic breaking and a 15-minute costume change that drew boos from the restless audience.

It seems that the years of drug addiction and her rocky marriage to the singer Bobby Brown have taken their toll on the performer.

So while her voice managed to hold out, her lack of stamina meant that the show was constantly interrupted for her to catch her breath with water breaks and bantering with the audience.

"Throughout the show, her breathing was an issue. Two numbers in and Whitney was panting," said Colin Paterson, the BBC entertainment reporter who attended the gig.

The concert had been put off three times due to the singer suffering from an upper respiratory infection, which had in turn fuelled rumours in the press that Whitney had returned to a lifestyle of drug and alcohol abuse.

Whitney denied those stories, dismissing them as "ridiculous".

Speaking to the press upon entering the UK last week she said of the press rumours: "At this point I just don't respond. I don't even read it."

"I'm doing what I love to do, which is singing. And the best part is seeing all of my fans around the world," she added.

With a sell-out tour ahead of her, she may need to improve her performances to ensure the fans continue to love her for years to come.

Glossary 词汇表

put up with 忍受，容忍 

comeback gig 复出演唱会 

prompted a mixed response 引起了不同的反应 

shambles 一团糟 

diva 天后 

technical hitches 技术故障 

head mic 头戴话筒 

drew boos 引起嘘声 

drug addiction 毒瘾 

rocky marriage 问题重重的婚姻 

taken their toll 造成伤害 

hold out 坚持 

catch her breath 歇口气 

bantering 开玩笑，说笑 

number （量词）一首歌 

panting 气喘吁吁的 

put off 推迟 

upper respiratory infection 上呼吸道感染 

fuelled rumours 促进谣言的扩散 

sell-out tour 票已售空的巡回演唱会