Sir Elton John has revealed that he could have “died at any time” during one of his recent gigs after a serious health scare.

Initially, he thought that he had a bad case of food poisoning after experiencing severe stomach pains but tests revealed that it was actually appendicitis.

The 66 year old had continued to play a number of gigs with severe stomach pains before realising the true nature of his condition.

He told The Sun newspaper: "I'm lucky to be alive. I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time.

"I feel so lucky and so grateful to be alive. I played nine gigs and the White Tie and Tiara Summer Ball in agony."

Elton was forced to leave a gig in Germany early because of the intensity of the pain he was experiencing and has cancelled further dates while he is taking medication to ensure that he does not get blood poisoning.

A source close to him said: "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates.

“He has made super-human efforts to continue, confirming his dedication to his European fans.”