BBC News | ENTERTAINMENT | Sir Elton leads TFI finale

Sir Elton John has brought the curtain down on the last ever TFI Friday on Channel 4, taking over the presenter duties from original host Chris Evans.

The singer is the latest in the line of celebrity presenters on the Friday evening music and chat programme.

Other celebrity presenters have included the Spice Girls, Donna Air and contestants from Big Brother.

The series was axed by Channel 4 after viewing figures collapsed, prompting Chris Evans, whose company also produces the show, to hand over the presenting reins.

Chris Evans presented TFI for four years
Sir Elton kicked off his presenting career by smashing up a mock hotel room and throwing a TV set out of the window.

He chatted to comic Graham Norton and Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, and went shopping in Woolworths with her husband, footballer David Beckham.

On the music side, he sang duets with Ronan Keating, Moby and The Pet Shop Boys.

And he admitted he had not even been invited to Madonna's wedding, despite newspaper reports that he was to sing his hit Song for Guy at the party.

He said beforehand: "Having appeared as a guest before, it will be fun to be on the other side of the desk, presenting."

The programme has been running for almost five years, in which Chris Evans frequently ran into trouble with TV watchdogs for bad language and "insensitive" competitions.

Executive producer Suzi Aplin said: "We're so excited to have such a showbiz legend for our last-ever show."

The show was broadcast at 2130 GMT on Friday.


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