News | Entertainment
6 Dec 2025 11:10
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Billy Joel hates being on TV

    The 75-year-old musician has revealed he's "camera-shy" despite working in the music industry since the 1960s and he really dislikes being on TV because he's not "telegenic" he "feels like a geek" when he's performing from behind his piano


    Billy told Variety: "I'm never crazy about doing TV. I don't think I'm telegenic anyway. I think I'm one of those artists who should be heard and not necessarily seen.

    "I don't like being on camera. I'm camera-shy. I always feel like a geek when I'm on TV because I'm static at the piano, I can't move around. I can't use body language. I'm stuck at the piano. And it just doesn't feel rock 'n' roll when you're on camera. You're just locked into place."

    Billy also explained he doesn't like editing tricks used in TV and prefers to be honest when he's made a mistake. He added: "There's a lot of fake stuff TV gets away with ...

    "The crowd likes that [when I restart songs after making a mistake] because there [on stage] you're being true to that. On TV, you can fake a lot of stuff ... "

    Billy appeared in a CBS concert film called 'Billy Joel: The 100th Live at Madison Square Garden - The Greatest Arena Run of All Time' which aired in April to celebrate his long-running residency at the New York venue.

    He performed at the Grammy Awards two months later and admits he wasn't thrilled to be involved in the televised production.

    Billy added: "I wasn't crazy about doing that either. That was a TV audience, and it was done in Los Angeles, which is a showbiz town, and it was all based around their presentation.

    "We were up there on stage, like, 'Do we sound bad?' ... Because usually that's the biggest song of the night! So, me and TV, we don't always get along."

    © 2025 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     05 Dec: Alicia Silverstone has offered a $50,000 reward for the return of two missing giraffes
     05 Dec: Tracy Morgan has fed 19,000 families through his charity work
     05 Dec: Ethan Hawke's wife Ryan Shawhughes fled the set of his new movie Blue Moon after seeing his "combover"
     05 Dec: Sydney Sweeney is "handling" fame "incredibly well", according to her Christy co-star Ben Foster
     05 Dec: Ray J has been arrested over allegations he pulled a gun on his ex-wife Princess Love during a Thanksgiving day livestream
     04 Dec: The Prince and Princess of Wales have congratulated Robert Irwin on his Dancing With the Stars win
     04 Dec: Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman were allegedly present during a confrontation between Ryan Reynolds and Justin Baldoni
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    The Black Caps are trying to wrap up the first cricket test against the West Indies, on day four in Christchurch More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    Chris Luxon admits many Kiwis still haven't felt the economy turn a corner More...



     Today's News

    Soccer:
    The wait is over in more ways than one for the All Whites ahead of the 2026 World Cup 10:47

    Law and Order:
    A person's been left in a critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound on Papakura's Maadi Place in the early hours of this morning 10:27

    Health & Safety:
    Kindercare daycare says it's shocked that children entrusted in their care were harmed at a Christchurch centre yesterday afternoon 10:27

    Environment:
    Some high temperatures are forecast around the country this weekend 10:07

    Motorsports:
    Lando Norris has gone fastest in both sessions in Friday practice for the title-deciding Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix 9:57

    International:
    Under deadline, Donald Trump is remaking the White House in his own image 9:47

    Soccer:
    The All Whites will face two sides inside the world's current top 20 at next year's World Cup - but have avoided the likes of world champions Argentina and European title holders Spain 9:37

    Motoring:
    Efforts turn to helping survivors and recovering the dead after devastating floods in Indonesia 9:37

    Politics:
    Lebanon says it's trying to disarm Hezbollah but fears sparking internal conflict 8:17

    International:
    The draw is underway for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Washington DC 8:06


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2025 New Zealand City Ltd