Elton John has opened up about his secret battle with prostate cancer.
The Rocket Man singer battled the illness in private back in 2017 and, revealing the severity of the condition in his new memoir Me: Elton John, he revealed complications following surgery left him "24 hours from death".
"I was taken to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London, where I had a scan," he penned. "I was told that my condition was so serious, the hospital didn’t have the equipment to cope with it."
The Tiny Dancer hitmaker was told he’d contracted a major infection in South Africa, which ultimately put his life at risk.
"The doctors told David (Furnish, husband) I was 24 hours away from death," he explained. "If the South American tour had gone on for another day that would have been it: brown bread (dead)."
Explaining he was "incredibly lucky", Elton, 72, added: "I lay awake all night, wondering if I was going to die. In the hospital, alone at the dead of night, I’d prayed: 'Please don’t let me die, please let me see my kids again, please give me a little longer.'"
The star made a full recovery from the illness, and is currently on the road with his final Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert tour.
Me: Elton John is released 15 October.
