Sir Elton John has launched an attack against British pop music, singling out the likes of Cheryl Cole and The Saturdays.

In an interview with Word magazine, the singer said music in the UK had become unidentifiable.

"Frankly, they all sound the same," he said. "It's hard to tell Girls Aloud from The Saturdays. And then there's Cheryl Cole… It's all crap.

“British pop music like that is the worst, it's just awful. It could have been made by anybody. All lip-synchers should be shot. Only drag queens are allowed to lip-synch."

Sir Elton added that he loved albums that contained “musicianship”, and where it was evident that “there’s human soul, there’s magic in there”.

The veteran star is currently promoting his new movie Gnomeo & Juliet, which tells William Shakespeare’s famous tale through the eyes of gnomes.

(by Jason Gregory)