But let's hope that Sir Elton receives kinder coverage now that he's said he'd like to adopt a 14-month old boy from an orphanage in Ukraine.

The superstar was visiting an orphanage with his Circle of Life charity when he was smitten by the toddler.

No doubt we'll get some lectures in the press about exploitation and sorrowful thought pieces about the children left behind.

But, as with Madonna, Sir Elton will find a way through the guff, if to adopt this little boy is what he genuinely wants to do.

It'll be interesting to see though, if his Britishness is a protection against the more savage invective levelled against Madge by some well-known chidren's charities, for instance.

Even more, if his being gay will deter some of his potential critics in a way that Madonna's adoptions didn't.

It's an added complication for the salad-munchers. They'll probably not bother, pretending it's not happening.

Meanwhile, let's hope that little Lev - now he's been outed in the papers, and photographed with the real Queen of England - gets to spend his formative years with someone destined to be a great dad.

All the exploitation will be strictly one way, I suspect.