Australian singer/actress Olivia Newton-John broke down on television yesterday as she told of her anguish following the disappearance of her long-term partner Patrick McDermott.

Newton-John's boyfriend of nine years vanished on an overnight fishing trip on 30 June and hasn't been seen since.

On Australian TV show Today, Newton-John admitted she was seeking in solace in music as she struggles to deal with McDermott's absence from her life.

She said: "It was a very difficult decision (to tour and sing again).

"I didn't feel like singing and I didn't think I would ever sing again. The thought of it was terrifying to me. Singing is a part of me and it's my soul. It's how I can express myself and move through it. Music is a very healing thing.

"So many people are going through a rough time this Christmas, I never understood it before but I really do now.

"Things like this come in waves. Anyone who has gone through loss or a painful experience knows that. You think you're coping, then you hit a wall or a wave and you go down and come up again. The pain is there and you feel it... and there is no escape."

The singer is set to tour Australia and New Zealand next March.