Australian singer contracts deadly infection from blister

Kate Miller-Heidke spent almost a week in hospital with cellulitis. Photo / Facebook

Kate Miller-Heidke has revealed how she was hospitalised with a potentially deadly infection after getting a blister from her high heels.

The singer, who will represent Australia at Eurovision next week, shared on Facebook her medical scare, but told fans "DON'T PANIC!" as the whole thing happened "a few weeks ago".

"I came back from Europe with a very serious infection which can end in amputation or even death," she wrote.

"All from a blister. Anyone who has worn them knows high heels can kill — but I never took it literally."

Miller-Heidke was then hospitalised for "the best part of a week" and had been "pretty panicked" when she found out she had cellulitis.

"The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity. Every day was chockas with some kind of preparation. I was sprinting towards May, getting my 'pop Olympics' brain on, and utterly unprepared to have all my plans derailed by such unexpectedly s**ttty luck," the singer wrote.

She said the first couple of days in hospital passed in a blur of needles, pain killers, Netflix and tears (not a euphemism).

But things got better for Miller-Heidke when a "strange sense of calm settled over me", and she "gave up trying to control everything".

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A post shared by Kate Miller-Heidke (@katemillerheidke) on May 5, 2019 at 1:44pm PDT

The singer is "mobile again" but wears sneakers as "the doctor ordered me to go to a orthopaedic shoe store".

"But the sense of calm has persisted. Occasionally I'll be visited by that familiar needy voice whispering 'Why not have a quick look at the YouTube comments under your song?' Now my new friend, the calm one, steps in and says 'Uh, no Kate. Just, don't,'" Miller-Heidke explained.

Miller-Heidke will represent Australia at Eurovision in Tel Aviv next week after winning the spot in February.

In a first, the singer-songwriter wasn't just selected by a panel of judges, with voting from the public also determining the winner.

She beat out other Australian acts Mark Vincent, Courtney Act, Sheppard, Electric Fields, Leea Nanos, Alfie Arcuri, Ella Hooper, Tania Doko and Aydan who each performed an original song.

Australia has previously been represented at Eurovision by Dami Im, Isaiah and Jess Mauboy.