Washington, Oct 19 : Renowned British singer Elton John regrets that he waited for 23 years of his life to lose his virginity.

"I made the mistake of not having sex until I was 23! I loved being with another man and felt relieved that I finally knew who I was. I made the mistake of falling in love too soon because I was naive and romantic. My advice to you is to never chase love. It will find you when you least expect it. Have fun, have lots of safe sex and enjoy your sexuality. Be proud of who you are," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

The ''Candle in the Wind'' hitmaker, who entered into a civil partnership with David Furnish in 2005, made the revelation when he was asked to write words of advice in a letter to his 16-year-old self, on how to be happy in life.

"I made a lot of mistakes. Stay away from drugs, they''re a waste of time. Stand up for every human being''s rights. Be loving, kind and strong. Set an example. You''re going to have one hell of a life!" Elton wrote.

The full text of Elton''s letter has been published in Joseph Galliano''s latest book ''Dear me: A Letter to My Sixteen-Year-Old Self''. (ANI)