Bocelli bemoans loss of artistic integrity

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli (pictured) is doing what every artist has a tendency to do when they hit it rich - complaining, poor lamb, that he has had to sacrifice his artistic integrity upon the altar of commercial success. Unlike his artistic forebears, such as Pavarotti, who incidentally died £12m in debt, Bocelli has made more than £100m from selling 60 million records. He has done so by fusing classical and pop styles - "popera" - a move that has attracted scorn from the critics.

Speaking to the Radio Times, 49-year-old Bocelli said: "I regret being forced by circumstances to do things that were very profitable, but occupied a lot of time I could have dedicated to more artistically satisfying work. Every TV appearance based on commercial foundations robs me of time I'd prefer to devote to studying."

None of this is likely to wash with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who recently criticised opera/pop singers as being "the new fakes for the new generation". And some might say that the tenor's soul-searching is slightly undermined by the fact on Thursday he will appear at the Classical Brit Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, where he will sing Funiculì, funicular with Sarah Brightman, who first came to fame in the 1970s with the song I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper.