ITV viewers dub Elton John Special 'absolute car crash' as they issue complaint

ITV viewers swiftly shared their reactions to An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile, which aired on Saturday evening (April 19). The special featured the musical pair belting out tracks from their collaboration Who Believed in Angels, and was set in the London Palladium.

Yet, no sooner had the programme started than a common complaint arose among viewers. One said: "Never ever heard of Brandi Carlisle #EltonJohn."

And they weren't alone, as another viewer chimed in: "Genuinely never heard of Brandi Carlile #EltonJohn."

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Another viewer posed the question: "Whose this woman, I've never heard of her. #EltonJohn", while another said: "Never even heard of Brandi Carlisle, but I'm watching an evening with #EltonJohn anyway."

Meanwhile, a scathing comment read: "This #EltonJohn thing on # is an absolute car crash."

However, it wasn't all criticism – there were those delighted by the collaboration. A fan praised Carlile saying: "Brandie's voice is stunning. Love this. Love the album."

Furthermore, disappointment surfaced that she wasn’t better known, with a fan saying: "Makes me sad how few people know who Brandi Carlile is, I was raised on her music she's great."

During the broadcast of the ITV special, Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy revealed that it was the first time Elton had allowed cameras full access to his recording process. Elton himself didn't express any regrets: "No, not really. I'm glad it's there because it's painful making music sometimes."

Brandi reflected on their authentic and somewhat offbeat studio experience, mentioning: "It's really authentic and just a little bizarre."

Highlights from the special showed Elton John in the midst of production, at times showing evident frustration.

As ITV aired footage of Elton flinging sheet music aside and slamming headphones onto the piano, he explained in a voiceover: "The reality is, I was exhausted, I had a lot of doubt. I was a nightmare. Angry, I was tired, I was irritable."

Elton opened up about striving for vocal harmony with collaborators on the album, despite how daunting the task proved to be.

Viewers were given an intimate look into Elton's artistic process, including a moment where he was brought to tears while performing a song.

Talking candidly about the emotional obstacles, Elton shared: "To achieve what I wanted to achieve, I had to really work through the pain, it was a big push. I had to feel, for the first time.

"I just lost it. Being emotional on the record, whether it was being angry or crying, I haven't been that for years and years and years."