Sir Elton John revealed he ‘can’t read, watch TV or see his boys play sports’ as he opened up on his ‘distressing’ battle with blindness on Friday.

The legendary musician, 78, contracted a severe eye infection in July which left him blind in his right eye, with ‘limited vision’ in his left. 

Remaining positive despite his health woes, Elton told The Times: ‘I can see you, but I can’t see TV, I can’t read. I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up.

‘It’s distressing. You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I’m lucky to have the life I have.’

He added: ‘I still have my wonderful family, and I can still see something out of here [left eye] So you say to yourself, just get on with it.’ 

Elton lives with his husband David Furnish, 62, and their sons, Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, who he joked in the interview have now swapped Eego and Star Wars toys for an ‘all-consuming love of rap’.

Sir Elton John revealed he ‘can’t read, watch TV or see his boys play sports’ as he opened up on his ‘distressing’ battle with blindness on Friday 

The legendary musician, 78, contracted a severe eye infection in July which left him blind in his right eye, with ‘limited vision’ in his left

Despite being unable to experience some of his most glitzy events over the last few months, including the gala performance of the musical The Devil Wears Prada, the star has remained positive. 

In an interview with The Guardian in February, Sir Elton confessed that he now has a newfound respect for sight-impaired people and understands how lucky he is.

He told the publication: ‘I’m an optimist permanently, I’ve got bad eyesight at the moment.

‘There have been days I’ve been miserable, but then I think about how lucky I am, I’ve got a new respect for sight-impaired people, but I’ve got a great life and hopefully my sight will improve.

‘I’ve beaten addiction, health issues and can pick myself up, dust myself off’.

Elton appeared Good Morning America alongside his husband David in December to chat with Robin Roberts about his life, career and the personal challenges featured in his new documentary.

Speaking in the interview, the music legend explained: ‘I unfortunately lost my eyesight in my right eye in July because I had an infection in the South of France and it’s been four months now since I haven’t been able to see.

‘And my left eye is not the greatest, so. There’s hope and encouragement that it will be okay and we’re taking an intiative to try and get it better. At the moment that’s really what we’re concentrating on.’

When asked to elaborate on his current health to put fans worried at ease, Sir Elton quipped: ‘David and I always have our blood tests every six months in Los Angeles. Our health has never been better.

Elton lives with his husband David Furnish, 62, and their sons, Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, who he joked have now swapped Eego and Star Wars toys for an ‘all-consuming love of rap’ 

Elton said: ‘It’s distressing. You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I’m lucky to have the life I have’ (pictured on stage in October) 

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‘It’s never fortunate for anything like this to happen. I can’t see anything, I can’t read anything, I can’t watch anything.’

The hitmaker, who played his final shows last summer, revealed his eyesight issues in September.

He took to his Instagram with a lengthy post, explaining how he spent the past few months ‘recuperating at home.’

Elton wrote: ‘Over the summer, I’ve been dealing with a severe eye infection that has unfortunately left me with only limited vision in one eye.

‘I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.

‘I am so grateful for the excellent team of doctors and nurses and my family, who have taken such good care of me over the last several weeks.’

Elton concluded: ‘I have been quietly spending the summer recuperating at home, and am feeling positive about the progress I have made in my healing and recovery thus far.’

And his health battles have undermined any new music from the star.

The hitmaker, who played his final shows last summer, revealed his eyesight issues in September (pictured performing at Glastonbury 2023) 

He took to his Instagram with a lengthy post, explaining how he spent the past few months ‘recuperating at home’

Elsewhere in the interview, he said: ‘I can do something like this, but going into the studio and recording I don’t know, because I can’t see a lyric for a start.

‘We’re taking an initiative to try and get it better, but at the moment that’s really what we’re concentrating on.’

It comes just after Elton made an outrageous admission about the prospect of making another solo album as the singer insisted he ‘needed Brandi Carille to keep going’.

The hitmaker released a collaboration album with American country singer Brandi, 43, called Who Believes in Angels? on Friday.

Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the Tiny Dancer singer said: ‘I knew that I didn’t want to make the same album again… I wanted the album to move forward because I’m always trying to look forward.

‘If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.

‘I needed her, I needed her talent, her energy, her humour, and her brilliant lyrics. I’ve got two of the greatest lyric writers in the world: Bernie Taupin and Brandi Carlile.’

He added that he enjoyed the process so much that he said it would be a ‘privilege’ to make a record with her again.

To fans delight, he also teased that his voice on the album is ‘the best it’s ever been’.