LONDON – Pop singer George Michael (search) might have expected some praise from adoring fans when he set up a chat room on his Web site.
Instead, contributors complained the 41-year-old looked old and overweight and criticized his recent music, prompting the singer to announce Thursday he is shutting down the forum.
In a message posted on his site, Michael said the negativity was bad for him, his fans and his music.
"There are plenty of places to read people slagging each other off, but I wasn't trying to create one in opening the forum," he wrote. "Those of you that want to carry on the media's work will have to do it somewhere else I suppose."
He signed off: "Sorry guys, but that's the way it goes... Peace and Love...or nothing at all."
The decision prompted a flurry of postings, mostly from supportive fans asking the singer to reconsider.
However, a few deemed the decision unfair and George a "control freak."
"It's a fans' forum, it's freedom of speech and I don't think it's down to George to take his ball home and say `I'm not playing any more,'" one fan wrote.
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