Return of the soprano fired for being too fat

An American soprano has returned to the Royal Opera House stage, four years after she was fired for being too big.

The decision sparked a ferocious debate about weight discrimination in opera but now Deborah Voigt has slimmed down and is back in the Richard Strauss opera Ariadne auf Naxos, wearing the dress originally chosen for the role.

"When I got the call from my manager, I have to admit my first reaction was to laugh, because we had come full circle," Voigt said before opening night.