MARIE OSMOND - OSMOND: 'DANCING WITH THE STARS IS A HEALTHY DIVERSION'

MARIE OSMOND has credited hit U.S. TV show DANCING WITH THE STARS with distracting her from her personal problems, following the recent death of her father and her son's admission into rehab. The singer/entertainer - who has made it to the reality programme's final next week (begs26Nov07) - has been faced with various personal struggles over the last couple of months, including her divorce from husband of 21 years, record producer Brian Blosil, earlier this year (07). She also shocked Dancing With The Stars viewers when she fainted live on air in October (07). But 48-year-old Osmond claims the show has helped her to get through the tough times. Speaking on American chatshow Larry King Live on Wednesday (21Nov07), she said, "There's a lot of women out there like me. Women are resilient. We multi-task. We compartmentalise. We're like... water. We kind of flow in and out of things, making sure that everything is taken care of. "And, honestly, the support, the feedback that I've gotten from the show, the show has been a gift to me because it makes you focus on something. And it kind of gives you a little time out. And so it's been... a healthy diversion for me because it releases the endorphins and it's been a wonderful experience." Osmond family patriarch, George, died aged 90 on 6 November (07), and Marie's teenage son Michael was revealed to be seeking treatment for an undisclosed issue on a previous appearance on Larry King Live (14Nov07).