Sir Elton John has revealed he's lucky to be alive after being struck down with appendicitis.
The 66-year-old yesterday announced he was scrapping his European tour - including a huge outdoor gig at London's Hyde Park this Friday - after being forced off stage in agony last week.
Sir Elton John
The singing legend originally thought he'd been struck down with a bout of food poisoning but now admits he's 'lucky to be alive' after a scan showed he had a potentially fatal appendix abscess.
In an interview with The Sun, the singing legend said: "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time.
“I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive. I played nine gigs and the White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball in agony.”
The 'Rocket Man' singer - who was forced to walk off stage halfway through his show in Germany last week - is said to be over the worst and is recovering at home in Windsor with his partner David Furnish and their sons Zachary and Elijah.
The star has been given drugs to treat the inflamed appendix and antibiotics to reduce the risk of blood poisoning but will still need surgery once the swelling has reduced.
Tickets for this Friday's Barclaycard British Summertime Festival in Hyde Park will be refunded and entry to see Ray Davies, Elvis Costello, Gabrielle Aplin and Nick Lowe will be free.