Vanessa Williams will take some time off from her 'The Devil Wears Prada' show in London, following the death of her mother

Vanessa, 61, shared on Instagram: ": "On December 28th, the world lost a powerhouse, dynamo and force of nature packed into a 5ft frame.

"Our mom, Helen Williams, aka Gaga to many, took her final bow in London 20 days after celebrating her 85th birthday surrounded by family and friends.

"Helen had recently travelled to London for the opening night of 'The Devil Wears Prada' in the West End and to celebrate her 85th birthday party surrounded by 150 of her family and friends. During her visit she suffered a major decline in health which ended her life."

A message on the 'Devil Wears Prada's Instagram page revealed Vanessa's brief hiatus.

It stated: "Due to a sudden loss in her family, Vanessa Williams will not be appearing from Wednesday 8th to Wednesday 15th January. During this time, the role of Miranda Priestly will be played by Debbie Kurup. Vanessa will return to The Devil Wears Prada from Thursday January 16th.

"Sending love and condolences to @vanessawilliamsofficial.

"Also sending well wishes to @thedebbiekurup for her Miranda debut."

As well as being mom to Vanessa, she was also mother to a son named Christopher. Her husband of 45 years, Milton, died in 2006.

Helen will be remembered at "intimate private memorial services" in January and the family has asked for donations to be given to the Helen Tinch Williams Vocal Performance Fund.