Should George Michael give up touring?

NEWSFLASH! George Michael has recently announced a pair of dates at Earls Court - his last arena shows ever. The concerts, taking place at the end of August, have been dubbed 'The Final Two' in a neat reference to Wham!'s goodbye gig, 'The Final'.

Huh? Is he serious? George only began touring again in September 2006, having been absent from the world's arenas for a whopping 15 years. Since then, he's played to more than 1.3 million people on his '25 Live' tour, opened the new Wembley Stadium and pocketed a seven-figure sum for a private gig on New Year's Eve. Getting back in the saddle, so-to-speak, seemed to be a doddle.

Then again, given that his relationship with the media is as strained as a weightlifter's bicep, you can't blame George for wanting to make a "quieter life" for himself. Lest we forget, he's been in a kind of I'll Do What I Want, When I Want semi-retirement for years now, releasing just one album of original material since 1996.

Age apparently influenced his decision too. "Mainly the reason is because I'm 45 and I think pop music should be about youth culture," he told the BBC last week. "It shouldn't be an endurance test." We hear you George - nobody wants to see a bald, paunchy fading star trundling around the world's enormodromes in a desperate bid to top up his pension fund - but lucrative tours by veteran musos are pretty standard these days. The Stones, Madonna, The Police... they've all got years on you.

There are two consolations for fans. First, George hasn't ruled out occasional gigs at smaller venues; and second, final doesn't really mean final in pop - just look up Tina Turner on Ticketmaster.

Are you surprised that George Michael is giving up touring? What do you think of his decision? Use the space below to have your say.