Alex Cracknell
Music

“A naughty boy who needs a new belt”: Molly Meldrum’s excuse for mooning Elton John’s crowd

Music TV legend Molly Melrdum has apologised profusely for his onstage behaviour after gatecrashing Sir Elton John's Farewell show in Melbourne on Friday. But the excuse he has proffered did not find much by way of support among sceptics.

Meldrum blamed what happened while standing braced alongside Sir Elton’s piano … on a wardrobe malfunction.  

On Friday night, Meldrum left onlookers bewildered and taken aback when his trousers suddenly dropped without warning, meaning he effectively mooned the packed audience. The legendary music critic and presenter has now gone on record as saying that it was all due to a wardrobe malfunction involving his faulty belt. 

“I shouldn’t have crashed Elton’s show,” Meldrum told the Herald Sun. “As for my performance being more revealing than it should have been … well, at the start of the night, my belt buckle broke and my pants were already falling down. And on stage, one thing led to another.” 

Prior to the incident, Molly had been in the audience taking in the show – but since both he and Sir Elton have been lifelong friends, the star of the show gave a special tribute to Meldrum, saying, "He’s quite honestly a national treasure. I want to thank him for all the love and loyalty he’s shown me over the years. I love you."

Meldrum took that as his cue to mount the stage, and the pair then performed “The Bitch Is Back” together, before the now-infamous wardrobe malfunction occurred – which Sir Elton appears not to even realise is happening. 

It’s then that Molly chooses to really go with the moment, lifting his jacket and showing his backside even further, before finally pulling up his trousers. 

"I feel terrible if any of the security people get in trouble,” Molly then said the following day. “The whole thing was 100 per cent my idea – no one else knew what I was doing. Elton might have been singing The Bitch is Back, but it was more a case of The Idiot is Back.

"I just hope my antics didn’t detract from a truly spectacular show and Elton’s fabulous farewell. No one is to blame apart from me.

“Elton is an icon and a legend. I’m just a naughty boy, who needs a new belt.”

Images: @oztish / Twitter

Tags:
Elton John, Molly Meldrum, mooned, wardrobe malfunction, farewell tour