He is placed upon a pedestal and worshipped; alternately, he is derided and attacked by detractors. Britain's most articulate singer-songwriter remains a complex individual whose lyrics are concerned with realism, opinion, waspish wit, irony, asexuality and love. He is perhaps the only English entertainer to have successfully created his own culture, a personal world filled with foibles, likes and dislikes, and above all unsuppressable opinion, from his bizarre obsessions with old films and obscure entertainers to his hatred of authority, politicians and royalty. He claims to have loved rarely, but despite leading an intensely private life, his sexuality has been the subject of acres of press coverage for over twenty years. His is a story of scandal ... and passion.