Just what is the truth behind Madonna's bruises?

Over a light but expensive lunch of sushi and mineral water at her London town house, Madonna was in confessional mood.

"Forty can be a fabulous age — it certainly was for me," she told the gathering of well-heeled girlfriends.

"But there's absolutely nothing sexy about 50. The only thing I have to look forward to is the menopause."

Uttered with a wry half-smile, the final line was a feeble attempt at injecting levity into the conversation.

But the polite laughter of her friends — who include such luminaries as Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow — was at best a little forced.

For the truth is that on the subject of her looming 50th birthday (there are now just seven months to go), Madonna simply cannot see the funny side.

The issue has become an obsession, prompting her to act in ways which swing from the predictable (expensive cosmetic procedures) to the bizarre (a pathological fear of radiators).

"All you have to do is stand within six feet of Madonna these days to see how much work she's had done," says an associate.

"Her skin is so stretched and thin that it's almost translucent when she doesn't have make-up on.

"She's paranoid about the sun as a result — when she goes to the beach, she covers up from head to toe. And she's obsessed with radiators. They tend to dry out the skin, which ages you prematurely, apparently.

"herever possible, she has underfloor heating instead.

"Of course she knows she'll get old eventually, but she's determined to do everything to fight it."

Madonna'a characteristic reaction to this challenge has been to work harder and spend more money.


She has also stuck to a rigid diet, mixing macrobiotic foods with seasonal, organic produce and favouring a Japanese style of preparation.

Gone are the days when she would boast of drinking the occasional glass of British beer or French wine.

Her alcohol intake is zero as she strives to eliminate every form of toxin from her body.

The result is that, at 49, Madonna is a stone and a half lighter than when she had her first hit 25 years ago. At the time, she was asked by a TV interviewer what she imagined her life would be at 50.

The young star flippantly snapped back: "I can't even think about it — I can't see myself at 50."

After a moment's thought, she airily added: "Just incredibly happy, I guess."

How sad that, now the day is finally dawning, the one thing standing in the way of that happiness is Madonna's obsessive refusal to grow old gracefully