(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Nick Cannon is "in a lot of pain" his wife Mariah Carey said yesterday.

The singer is currently at her husband's side after he was hospitalised over the holidays with "mild kidney failure".

But the mother-of-two told People magazine that that although it is a serious situation her comedic husband is trying to stay positive.

"As always, he's in good spirits considering the situation," said Mariah, who is keeping an eye on Nick's condition after he became ill during their Aspen vacation in Colorado.

Mariah said "the situation is not easy" and that Nick was stable but "in a lot of pain".

"We are hopeful that he'll be 100 per cent as soon as possible," she added. "We really appreciate everybody's love and support."

Nick later tweeted from his hospital bed that he is "being transferred to a hospital in L.A. Thank you all for all your love, prayers and concern. You know me I will be a'ight (sic)."

Nick and Mariah have two children together. She gave birth to fraternal twins Monroe and Moroccan in April last year.

Mariah explained that it felt very strange to be tending to Nick after he had done the same for her when she was in hospital.

"Last year it was me attached to the machines (after having dembabies) and Nick was there with me through it, and now here we are (sic)," she wrote on her blog. (C) Cover Media