MILLIONS of culture vultures were disappointed last night after BBC bosses pulled a live broadcast because Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel took ill. Bryn stars as chief god Wotan (pictured) in Wagner's classic Ring cycle being staged at the Royal Opera House in Londons' Covent Garden.. But a nasty chest infection forced the famous Pant Glas bass baritone to pull out of the second part, The Valkyrie. The performance was being broadcast live on BBC2. But bosses decided the show could not go on without Bryn. An understudy stepped in to play Wotan for the Covent Garden crowds, but the live broadcast was pulled. Yesterday's opera, introduced by former Tory MP Michael Portillo, started at 5.15pm. The show was due to go on for more than three hours. But at 6.30pm the opera was pulled at the point Bryn was due to enter the epic story. The programme was replaced with the 1956 film Anastasia, starring Ingrid Bergman. Last night, Bryn's manager, Doreen O'Neill, said the 39-year-old was "extremely disappointed". "He had a chest infection and a cold and decided on Sunday night he could not do the performance. "Bryn is extremely disappointed. But if you have not got a voice you cannot do the performance. He is recovering at home." The BBC plans to reschedule the opera and broadcast it again when Bryn gets better. A BBC spokesman said: "We believed that many people would have tuned in to see Bryn playing the role of Wotan. "But he was taken ill and had to pull out. "Because of this we decided to take the opera off the air. An under-study stepped in to play the part for the crowds there." News the bass baritone pulled out disappointed fans and raised concerns over his health. Daily Post senior assistant editor Mark Brittain, a fan of Wagner's epic work, said: "It is disastrous. "This was to go out live to millions over the Easter bank holiday as a major cultural event with Bryn as Wotan, the most important figure in the opera. "The fact that the BBC pulled the opera off the air shows the importance of Bryn." Earlier this year Bryn was forced to "mime" through an entire Covent Garden opera after losing his voice hours before the curtain went up. Veteran bass baritone Sir Donald McIntyre stepped in for the final opera of the cycle, Twilight Of The Gods stevebagnall@dailypost.co.uk | 
