ELTON JOHN - ELTON TO GEORGE: 'PRIDE CAN KILL YOU'

SIR ELTON JOHN urged troubled singer GEORGE MICHAEL to not allow pride to stand in the way of getting help for his alleged substance abuse problem, on US talk show ELLEN today (24APR06). Host ELLEN DeGENERES asked John if it was hard to watch friends in the business who were currently battling drug problems. John, who did not mention the WHAM! singer by name, replied, "They always know that I will be there to help them. "Some of them don't want the help, because they haven't reached the point in their life where they're going to ask for it. "It took me 16 years you to ask for help. Pride can kill you." Michael recently said John was the cause of all of his recent troubles with the law, after the ROCKET MAN singer accused him of suffering "deep-rooted unhappiness" two years ago. John adds, "But there have been people who've asked me for help and that have gotten incredibly better. "RUFUS WAINWRIGHT being one. There's just nothing he can't do at the moment. When he asked me for help, I told him what to do and he went and he did it. "It's so great to see him and be happy. He's just brilliant."