Sir Elton John explained he hates being photographed despite being a photography fanatic.
The 77-year-old musician has been collecting snaps since the 1990s and now a huge exhibition of more than 300 images captured by 140 photographs from his collection is to be shown at the V&A in London.
Despite collecting thousands of photos, Elton told the BBC, "I would never put myself up on the wall (at home), no thank you."
It's extraordinary that I collect photographs because I don't like being photographed. I find it really painful.
The new show, titled Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection, will run at the V&A from Saturday 18 May 2024 until Sunday 5 January 2025.
Seeing his collection on the walls of the historic museum took Elton's breath away.
He said, "A lot of them I haven't seen hung properly or hung at all. And so walking through, it's been hung so beautifully and the different sections and wall colours. I couldn't be happier."
Photography fans can expect to see a wide range of imagery in the exhibition including significant moments from history including the civil rights movement, the Aids crisis, 9/11 and the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
Elton's husband, David Furnish, commented, "We live in an age now where people seem to want to rewrite history and want to deny the truth. I think when things are captured photographically, it's irrevocable. It really locks it in time."
