Legendary singer Elton John didn’t miss a beat as he playfully shed light on his health woes while presenting at the 2025 Golden Globes.
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“There’s been a lot of stories going around about my regressive eyesight,” John,77, said to the star-studded audience at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s big night. Taking the stage alongside Brandi Carlile to present the award for Best Original Score, he added with a smile, “I just wanted to reassure everybody that It’s not as bad as it seems.”
After a brief pause, he continued “So, I’m so pleased to be here with my co-host… Rihanna.”
Elton John, while standing next to Brandi Carlile, reassured everyone that his health issues with his eyes aren't as bad as everyone thinks:
— Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) January 6, 2025
"I'm so pleased to be here with my co-host, Rihanna."#GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/o16MAflMRw
The joke fell a bit flat, with the Globes audience politely chuckling. “That’s why Bernie Taupin writes his songs,” one X user quipped upon seeing the botched bit.
Meanwhile, Carlile, 43, picked up after the joke bombed and described a film’s score as an “emotional landscape” that creates a dialogue “with the audience through music” as she continued the presentation. The duo concluded their time on stage by announcing Challengers as the winner of the category.
Elton John Has Been Candid About His Health Issues
In an interview with Good Morning America, the singer-songwriter revealed that he lost vision in his right eye in July 2024. The vision loss occurred after he developed an eye infection during a summer vacation in the south of France, he explained.
“It kind of floored me, and I can’t see anything. I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything,” John told the outlet. He also revealed that his left eye isn’t in the best condition, which has affected his ability to read lyrics or enjoy shows and movies.
The iconic singer has spoken candidly in the past about the various health challenges he has faced throughout the years.
John has undergone multiple major medical procedures over the years. He has had several organs removed, along with knee and hip replacement surgeries. In the 1990s, he received a pacemaker to manage an irregular heartbeat. In 2009, a severe case of influenza left him hospitalized, and in 2013, doctors discovered an abscess on his appendix. More recently, he battled a bout of “gastric flu” in 2016.
Years of performing on stages across the globe have also taken a toll, leaving him with significant hearing loss.
However, despite his health challenges, John called himself “the luckiest man in the world” when speaking with GMA.