Swedish-Greek singer and television personality Helena Paparizou said on Saturday that she is recovering and will return soon to The Voice of Greece, after being hospitalized earlier this week following an illness during filming.
Paparizou, 42, one of the program’s judges, was admitted to a private clinic on Monday, leading to her temporary absence from the popular talent show. In her first public message since her hospitalization, posted on Instagram, she thanked fans and colleagues for their support and said she would return “stronger than ever.”
During her absence, fellow musician Kostis Maraveyas stepped in to replace her on the show, a move Paparizou welcomed and praised. “With his presence, he never let my chair feel empty and helped ensure the right decisions were made for Team Helena,” she said.
Paparizou, who won the Eurovision Song Contest for Greece in 2005, has served as a judge on The Voice of Greece for nine years. She also thanked fellow artists Panos Mouzourakis and Giorgos Kapoutzidis for their support.
“I feel deeply grateful and thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote, accompanying her post with an image of her chair on the show’s set.