Elton John and Madonna have made up, but why do famous people publicly go to war?

Sorry seems to be the hardest word – and there is a public appetite for watching high-profile feuds

Madonna and Elton John have kissed and made up. After decades of high-octane feuding (more of which anon), Madonna recently turned up impromptu backstage when John was appearing on late-night television sketch show, Saturday Night Live in New York to “confront” him. Her ensuing Instagram post, liked 420,605 times and counting, said: “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist”.

Madonna continued: “When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was ‘Forgive me’, and the walls between us fell down.”