Elton John says he “can’t get in and out of a car” due to ongoing hip injury pain

Elton John has given an update about the hip injury that caused him to postpone his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour in September.

The pop star said in a new interview that he remains in pain with restricted movement in his hip joint, which means that he currently cannot manoeuvre himself in and out of a car.

He explained in more detail to Lorraine Kelly on her ITV chat show this week why he was forced to postpone the remaining dates on the UK and European legs of his tour, which had also been rescheduled previously.

“I wouldn’t be 100 per cent fit – I wouldn’t be 100 per cent confident because I’m in pain most of the time,” he said of trying to perform when not fully recovered.

“The decision had to be made because I wouldn’t want to go on stage and give less than 100 per cent.

He continued: “I don’t know, with a year and a half of touring, how long my hip would last – it probably wouldn’t.”

But he added that he will “make it up” his fans when he’ll “be in much better form” after recovering from his injury.

Earlier this year John revealed that he’d suffered a fall that led to an injury for which he was advised to seek surgery.

“At the end of my summer break I fell awkwardly on a hard surface and have been in considerable pain and discomfort in my hip ever since,” John explained in a statement. “Despite intensive physio and specialist treatment, the pain has continued to get worse and is leading to increasing difficulties moving.”

Ticketholders for John’s rescheduled UK and European gigs were set to receive new event information, and all original tickets will be honoured at the rescheduled shows. You can find more information about the ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ here.

John recently released his ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, a collaborative album made over the course of the COVID pandemic that last month earned him his first UK Number One album in almost a decade.

In a four-star review, NME‘s Gary Ryan wrote: “Grounded by lockdown, the superstar – plus guests ranging from Stevie Wonder to Rina Sawayama – takes flight with this genre-hopping delight.”

John also spoke to NME for a recent Big Read cover feature in which he spoke about his inclination to not dwell on the past and having “never lost the desire to hear new music”.