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Sir Elton John has branded the late Michael Jackson "mentally ill" and "disturbing to be around" in his sensational new memoir. The signer, 72, explained that he had been friendly with the Thriller hitmaker in his early career but saw how he changed as his fame grew.

They met when Michael was just thirteen, with Elton describing him as "just the most adorable kid you could imagine". Elton wrote: "But at some point in the intervening years, he started sequestering himself away from the world, and away from reality the way Elvis Presley did."