Kit Roberts
Elton John has joked that there is 'not much' of him left after revealing how many organs he has had removed over the years.
The iconic singer opened up about his health problems while giving a speech during the premier of a new documentary about him.
The film, entitled Elton John: Never Too Late, looks back at the 77-year-old singer's 50-year-long career as he gets ready to give his final concert at Dodger Stadium.
Introducing the film, the star reflected on his own health, joking with the audience: “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left."
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In an allusion to the 'Ship of Theseus' trope, where the ship has so many parts replaced it's no longer the original ship, he said: “I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix.
“I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip.”
The singer continued: “But I’m still here. And I can’t thank you [enough], you’re the people that made me.”
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John has had to deal with a lot of health problems over the years, including knee and hip replacement surgeries.
Last month, the star revealed that he was in recovery after suffering from a 'severe eye infection', which was bad enough to affect his vision.
Back in the 1990s, he also had a pacemaker fitted to help deal with an irregular heartbeat.
In 2009, John was hospitalised with a bacterial infection and influenza, before having an abscess found on his appendix in 2013 and a bout of 'gastric flu' in 2016.
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There was also the impact years of touring had on John's health.
Most notably this has included an impact on his hearing due to the sustained exposure to loud noise.
John recently announced that he would be retiring from touring, saying: "As you know, I decided to stop touring because I’m 77 years of age.
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“I’ve done all there is to do, to play. I’ve succeeded. I’ve been there and I’ve done it.”
The new documentary Elton John: Never Too Late premiered internationally at the Toronto Film Festival.
It is set to begin streaming in the US on Disney+ from December 13.
A description of the film says: “With exclusive access to Elton onstage, behind the scenes and in the recording studio, this documentary tells Elton John’s story as it’s never been told before."