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Elton John says pop acts such as Lily Allen and Leona Lewis must write their own songs to sustain their careers, and that while he likes Simon Cowell, he is not a fan of talent shows. -- PHOTOS: REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LONDON - BRITISH singer Elton John described today's songwriters as 'pretty awful', pop music as uninspiring and reality television talent shows as boring in an interview published yesterday.

The 63-year-old said he refused to be a judge on American Idol.

'I'm not a fan of talent shows. I probably wouldn't have lasted if I'd gone on one. I was asked to judge American Idol. I couldn't do it because I won't slag anyone off,' he told Radio Times magazine.

'Also, I don't want to be on television. It's become boring, a***-paralysingly brain-crippling. I like Simon Cowell but what he does is TV entertainment.'

He said ex-American Idol judge Cowell, who is a judge on X Factor, had discovered some talented acts through his shows 'but the only way to sustain a career is to pay your dues in small clubs'.

'I was in a band at 17, became a songwriter with Bernie Taupin and wasn't successful until we'd had six years of hard graft and disappointment, and great times. TV vaults you to superstardom, then you've to back it up, which is hard.' -- REUTERS