ELTON John lashed out as he gave his verdict on Phillip Schofield's affair.
The ex-This Morning host, 61, was forced to quit last month after his relationship with a runner who worked on the show came to light.
But John, 76, has now slammed Brits' reaction to the affair – calling it "totally homophobic".
He said that a heterosexual relationship with a similar age gap would not have gained so much negative attention.
Speaking about how LGBT+ rights seemed to be "going backward" in America, John started talking about the UK – and Schofield.
The 71-year-old told Radio Times: "I feel that the Phillip Schofield thing has been totally homophobic.
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"If it was a straight guy in a fling with a young woman, it wouldn't even make the papers."
Earlier this month Schofield exclusively opened up to The Sun about the affair.
He described the moment the relationship with the young runner started in a dressing room after a This Morning episode.
The former host revealed he worked with the colleague for a short period and had become friends.
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He said: “Then one day something happened that just changed it. That is the moment I look back on, and regret so deeply.
“It was in my dressing room in 2017, it was a consensual moment, it was mutual.
“It was not a love affair, it was not a relationship, we were not boyfriends; we were mates.
“It wasn’t feelings (I was getting), it was more like mates: excitement.
“I was really struggling with my sexuality at that time in the build up to what happened."
Phil was at lengths to point out the chronology of events, and make clear the pair were not in touch romantically or inappropriately after they first communicated when the boy was just 15.
He also cited homophobia for some of the criticism levelled at him over the age gap.
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