Humorist Stephen Merchant obtained vengeance for friend Ricky Gervais by making Sir Elton John hang around for him at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards on Tuesday night. The 6ft 7in star took his time walking to the stage to collect an award from the music legend. Stephen casually finished his dessert and then strolled around before finally accepting his gong. The practical joke was a way of getting back at Sir Elton, after he forced Ricky, 46, to improvise for 15 minutes when he was delayed buy 'technical difficulties' at the Concert For Diana on 1 July. 'I thought I would keep Elton John waiting for a change as he did to my friend Ricky at the Diana concert,' Stephen, 32, announced, with Elton looking grim-faced.
'I was only joking of course, I feel very privileged to be in such esteemed company as Elton John, Michael Caine and Jimmy Nesbitt.' And Stephen reckons Sir Elt, 60, was the perfect victim. 'If you can't take the p*** out of Elton John, who can you take it out of?,' he tells the Daily Mail. 'Don't get me wrong, I think he is fantastic but he is not the f****** Queen.' Elton's spokesman played down the incident yesterday. 'Elton and Stephen are mates,' he says. 'They are good friends going way back.'