News: Is ELTON JOHN going mad?

Sunday Mirror, Oct 24, 2004 by Deirdre O'Brien

What is wrong with Sir Elton John? If his recent behaviour is anything to go by, it seems this national treasure's throwing an extended strop of epic proportions.

Elton's always had a temper, but in recent years he's kept it in check and become a kindly uncle figure - writing soppy songs like the music for The Lion King and dedicating himself to raising hundreds of thousand of pounds for charity. Happily settled with long-term partner David Furnish, it seemed, at 57, Elton might be easing into peaceful semi-retirement.

But scratch the surface and you find a diva lurking. And it seems Elton's inner bitch is no longer dormant. Most recently, he lost his rag at the Q Awards in London, where he collected a Song Writing Award. After picking up his gong, he turned his attention to the previous category, in which Madonna had been nominated for the Best Live Act Award for her Re-invention Tour.

'Madonna best f**king live act? F**k off. Since when has lip- synching been live? Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay pounds 75 to see them should be shot,' he ranted. 'That's me off her f**king Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No,' he added. Madonna then denied lip-synching, so shortly afterwards David Furnish was red-faced when he had to attend a dinner for Madonna hosted by Donatella Versace at posh London restaurant Cipriani. He sat at a table away from Madge - and there was no sign of Elton.

The outburst followed hot on the heels of a hissy fit Sir Elt threw at a Taiwan airport.

He exploded after arriving for the last leg of a Far East tour and emerging into the public immigration area - only to find himself surrounded by press and photographers. He did not take kindly to the welcome committee. As he stood with his arms across his chest he screamed through clenched teeth, 'Rude, vile pigs. Do you know what that means? Rude, vile pigs. That's what all of you are.' One of the snappers shouted back, 'Why don't you get out of Taiwan?' Sir Elton replied, 'We'd love to get out of Taiwan if it's full of people like you. Pig! Pig!'

He later issued a sort of apology, 'I'm sorry if I offended anyone in Taiwan,' he said. 'I did not mean to. And to those guys, I meant every single word I said. The television and photographers at the airport were the rudest people that I've ever met and I've been to 60 countries.'

Elton also took a swipe at Robbie Williams, calling him 'not a well budgie' in response to Robbie's comments about how Elton and David went over the top in their efforts to help him with his addiction problems.

But perhaps we shouldn't be that surprised at Sir Elt's show of stroppiness. He's been famous for more than 30 years, and his excesses of spending and - before his rehabilitation - substance abuse are legendary.

'I was cocaine-addicted. I was an alcoholic. I had a sexual addiction. I was bulimic for six years.' Elton has admitted. 'For breakfast I'd have a big fry-up, followed by 20 pots of Sainsbury's cockles and a tub of Haagen-Dazs Vanilla so I'd throw it all up again,' he recalls.

His spending can be equally out of control. He once spent hundreds of thousands in 20 months on flowers, thousands on a wig to wear to a party, and a fortune on matching Bentleys for himself and Furnish. But his only vices now are shopping - and throwing the odd strop.

The stand-out scene in Tantrums And Tiaras - the documentary film made by Furnish - showed the singer flouncing off a tennis court in the south of France shouting, 'I'm supposed to be on f**king holiday. I'm never coming here again. Get me on a plane tomorrow.'

And what had inspired his temper tantrum? A fan had said 'Yoo- hoo'.

But Elton's return to tantrums has put him back on the front pages - and after all, he's no fool. With a single and an album out in November, an upcoming British tour and four Christmas dates at Hammersmith Odeon, it could be he knows the best way to keep himself talked about is to open his mouth and let rip...

WHO'S STILL IN ELTON'S GOOD BOOKS?

Elton can be fabulously generous and is a great defender of friends in need. In the past, he has extended his hospitality to Robbie Williams and Geri Halliwell, while Liz Hurley camped out at his home after the birth of baby Damian. He also recently revealed his 10 godchildren will be inheriting most of his vast fortune, estimated to be pounds 175 million. They include Brooklyn and Romeo Beckham, Damian Hurley, Sean Lennon, and Esme, the daughter of Susannah (Trinny and Susannah) Constantine.

Liz and Damian

The Beckhams

Geri Halliwell

Sean Lennon

ELTON'S BITCH-FEST

HEAR'SAY

'They are the ugliest band I have ever seen. If you are going to have a boy band or girl band then they've got to be good-looking. Danny looks like Shrek. I feel sorry for them.'

SIMON COWELL

'I am on the side of the artists, I am not on the side of someone like Simon Cowell who sees them as another Mercedes Benz in his pocket.'

MANUFACTURED POP

'The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears, S Club 7, Steps - the music is like packets of cereal. There are too many of them, and too many of them are just average and mediocre.'