So, was the PR brief "say as many controversial-yet-harmless things as possible", or is Elton John just turning into a very grumpy old man? Either way, Elton caused more trouble when interviewed by Chris Moyles on the Radio 1 breakfast show yesterday. Having told Chris: "I haven't been to the BBC for so long I almost went to the other building - but I saw Tony Blackburn on a walking stick and I thought 'No, it's the wrong fucking place'"; he then asked his host whether it was OK to say "wank", "tits", "bugger" and "bollocks" on live radio. Moyles responded: "You're listening to my last show on Radio 1".
The interview followed an albeit calm rant over Pop Idol et al in The Mirror this weekend. In that interview Elton 'said he thought Pop Idol and X Factor had had their day, adding: "I feel really sorry for Michelle McManus. I think they picked her because of her size and because she's so different. She's obviously a very sweet girl and my heart goes out to her. They don't prepare them for when it all starts to go wrong. They don't care. She's a good enough singer, but come on, she's not a pop star. Her situation is cruel and I feel sorry for her. She'll be ringing me up next." He went on to observe that "the last Pop Idol featured a really mediocre bunch of people", and he should know, given that he guested on one edition of the show.
Meanwhile, and back in full rant mode, Elton is rumoured to have said of Cherie Blair's adviser Carole Caplin "she's a mindless fucking turd".