Madonna’s pals fear she’ll end up like Michael Jackson as star has pushed herself too far to compete with Taylor Swift

PALS of Madonna fear she has been pushing herself too hard to compete with younger stars Taylor Swift and Pink.

The Queen of Pop sent fans into a panic last week after a serious bacterial infection put her in intensive care.

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Madonna is in hospital and pals fear she has been pushing herself too hardCredit: Instagram

Younger stars like Taylor Swift and Pink can cope with the physical demandsCredit: Reuters

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Pals are urging Madonna to put her health first and take time to restCredit: PA
The 64-year-old who was due to kick off a six-month world tour on July 15, is recovering at home in New York, surrounded by her kids.

But concerned friends have revealed she pushed herself to her physical limit to compete with younger singers such as Taylor on the road.

An insider said: “The countdown was well and truly on. Madonna had all her chips on one number, which was this tour.

“She was working overtime, but she clearly burnt herself out and people around her have been politely reminding her that she is not 45 any more, let alone 25.

“She needed to pace herself. Pushing herself so hard was extremely risky.

“But if she can get herself back in shape, the tour will have a whole lot more buzz around it, and she’s already got loads of publicity — even if it’s the wrong kind.

“Madonna is in it to win it and working harder than anybody.”

Another friend feared she could have ended up like Michael Jackson, who died in the lead-up to his This Is It tour in 2009.

A source said: “Madonna was in good spirits before the incident, but some friends had encouraged her to take it easy and find time for rest because of the gruelling schedule she had ahead of her.

“Many of us feel the constant remarks about her age have put pressure on her to compete, so we are relieved that she has been forced to take time out and put her health first.

“People were really worried about her.

“Nobody would say it out loud but there were concerns about another Michael Jackson situation if she doesn’t slow down a bit.

“She is home, happy and taking meetings, and she has rejected a proposal to scale back on the tour as she still wants to deliver as many dates as possible when she’s regained her strength.

“Everyone saw something like this coming because of her intense schedule but only a few were brave enough to tell her that they were concerned.

“Her condition is completely curable and she’s working with a group of doctors to boost her immune system.”

The pal added: “She’ll be back, I am 100 per cent sure of it. God bless her. I hope she is still working and still killing it at 100.”

If anyone can do it, Madge can