Elton and I have spoken to Madonna plenty of times lately. She and Guy are close friends of ours. They need to concentrate on their careers if they want their relationship to work. ... But if they neglect that, their relationship will ultimately suffer.

I'd spent my twenties trying to be everything to everybody. I had my family, my straight friends, and I was starting to develop a gay circle of friends. I was seeing some men, seeing some women, and trying to sort it all out.

When Stephen Harper was elected as the new Conservative Prime Minister - and he talked about repealing gay marriage and putting it to a vote in the House of Commons - Elton and I talked about getting married in Canada to make a statement, for ideological and political reasons.

When you get the high art of William Shakespeare and the greatest love story ever told, and you collision crash it with the low art of the tacky garden gnome, you're going to have lots and lots of opportunity for fun and putting your tongue very firmly in your cheek.

Unfortunately, celebrity is a powerful thing. It can influence people, but if it can influence people in a good way, then that's a great thing.

We absolutely need more role models. I think we need more people to come forward and be proud of who they are.