Zayn Malik’s return to the stage after his mystery illness took an unexpected turn when a crowd member hurled a water bottle at him. The 33-year-old former One Direction star was exiting the stage at Kingston’s Banquet Records when a woman in the balcony threw a plastic bottle, forcing him to duck. Another bottle narrowly missed him as he slipped out the exit following a Q&A performance for his new album Konnakol.
According to other fans at the event, the woman was removed from the venue by security after allegedly spitting at him. This was Zayn’s first event since his hospitalization earlier this month, which led to the cancellation of several shows. He is scheduled to perform at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday and Sunday, marking the start of his scaled-down Konnakol tour.
The North American leg of the tour, originally set to begin in July at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, has been scrapped, along with shows in Dublin, Glasgow, and Birmingham. Initially, this was planned as his biggest solo tour to date, with 31 arena concerts beginning on May 12 at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Zayn did not disclose details about his illness but told fans: “I’m really sorry, but unfortunately I am sick, and I won’t be able to make it to the UK this week as planned. We’re already in the process of trying to reschedule the Banquet Q&A and will be sharing new dates soon. Working on getting each of your info as well to send you something.”
The recent Q&A event was a rescheduled one, with tickets originally sold for 4pm and 6pm chats ahead of the 8pm show, but the earlier two were merged. Zayn previously posted a hospital photo showing him connected to wires and machines, including a blood pressure monitor and an ECG, sparking health concerns.
In an Instagram story, he wrote: “To my fans: Thank you so much for all the support and love you’ve shown me on the album release and more importantly your love, prayers, and well wishes for my health. I’ve felt it, and it’s meant the world. I’ve been at home recovering and I’m doing well and will be better and stronger than before.”
He added: “I’ve had to take another look at my schedule for the months ahead and have to reduce the number of shows on the Konnakol Tour. I want to make sure I still get out and see as many of you as I possibly can. I’m really looking forward to playing these shows for you, and I hope to see the rest of you around the world very soon. Big Love, Z.”
Before the Banquet event, Zayn’s most recent performances were in January when he completed a seven-night residency in Las Vegas. Metro has reached out to Zayn and Banquet’s teams for comment.
