Rod Stewart says Elton John ignored chance to end feud

Stewart claims pair fell out after he called John’s retirement tour ‘money grabbing’

Rod Stewart has claimed that Elton John turned down his offer to end their ongoing feud.

The “Maggie May” singer had previously revealed that he fell out with John after accusing him of “money grabbing” with his farewell retirement tour.

Appearing on Chris Evans’s How To Wow podcast, Stewart, 75, claimed that while he’d tried to make amends with the singer, he wasn’t sure whether their friendship was reparable.

“We don’t talk to each other anymore. Big falling out,” Stewart told Evans.

“The last time I emailed him and said, ‘I have this football pitch, would you like the boys to come up, because they both love football. You don’t have to come, [but] if they want to come up and play on this, they’re quite welcome.’”

Rod Stewart (left) with wife Penny Lancaster and Elton John in 2013 (Getty Images)

Stewart claims that John never replied to his email, adding that that had saddened him as the pair used to be “real close”.

The Independent has approached John’s reps for comment.

Elsewhere in the interview, Stewart compared John’s Bafta-nominated biopic Rocketman to Mamma Mia, stating that he wished it “hadn’t been a musical”.

He said that Bohemian Rhapsody, which focused on the life of Freddie Mercury, comparatively was one of the best rock and roll movies ever made.

Stewart’s original comments about John were made back in 2018, while appearing on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.

“If I retire, I won’t make an announcement,” Stewart said. “I’ll just fade away. I don’t think this is a big deal, it stinks of selling tickets.”

He continued: “It’s dishonest. It’s not rock and roll.”