Hollywood star Taron Egerton is leaving social media after he said that he's found it "addictive". The Aberystwyth-raised actor, who is known for his roles in Elton John biopic, Rocketman and recent AppleTV show, Black Bird, said that he needed to "not read the thoughts of strangers for a while".
In a long post on Instagram Taron accompanied the statement with the caption: "Have a great rest of your year everyone. And if you're anything like me remember to leave your f*cking phone in the other room a bit more often." Over the past weekend the star of Kingsman shared clips and pictures of his visit to Glastonbury, where his on-screen Rocketman alter-ego Elton John closed the festival with his final ever UK show.
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It was rumoured that the 33-year-old star would join John on stage, but Taron enjoyed the performance from the crowd and in his Instagram stories has encouraged fans to catch up with the performance online.
Posting about his decision to leave social media, Taron wrote: "I'm going to take a break from social media for a while. I'm not sure why I'm making a big declaration about it; I just think it's hard to break away from a cycle that I've grown to find a bit addictive and this is me making a commitment to myself.
"I've gotten myself into a place where I spend too much time scrolling and I actually feel like my ability to sit and be present and read books and watch movies and even seek out the company of people I love is eroding as a result. I feel a bit removed from myself. And with regards to work, I know I am capable of more and IG is one of several impediments to me getting there.
"Thanks everyone for saying such nice things all the time; I so appreciate it but I just need to not read the thoughts of strangers for a while; I'm really not sure this stuff is very good for any of us."
The actor, who won a Golden Globe for his turn as Elton, has three million followers on Instagram and many supported him in his vow to take a break, which sounds like it will last until at least the end of the year. David Furnish, Elton John's husband responded with a prayer hands emoji.
One fan wished the star good luck and said: "Mental health is always priority number one. Social media can be very addictive and toxic, so it's good that you can recognize how it's affecting you and that you don't want nor need that in your life."
Another said: "Well bloody said Taron! You shall be missed but we all need time out from Social Media!"
