THERE are a lot of armchair MADONNA experts doing the rounds — but few who have seen her in action as often as GUY RITCHIE.

He has been watching from the wings at almost every performance on her last four tours, living through the stress, sweat and tears of his wife’s gruelling military preparation.
On Saturday night in Cardiff I was lucky enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him watching his missus in her element on stage for the first night of her brilliant Sticky & Sweet Tour.

And the RocknRolla director gave his expert opinion on Madge’s big night at the Millennium Stadium. He said: “This is my fourth tour. I went to almost every single show the last time round but I hadn’t seen any of this one before tonight. I loved it. It is a great show.

“I love all her dark songs best. Some of the songs come from genuine suffering, let me tell you.”

I shared the journey from London to Cardiff with Guy to see Madge’s big night, stopping off for a real ale on the way. He added: “It’s quite an experience being on tour with the missus. In America you get full-on motorcades and 15-car escorts from the police.

“In London you’re lucky if you get one rozzer. It’s something else on show night. There will be 20 levels of staff before you get through to see the missus.”

Guy presented Madge with a bouquet of flowers before the gig, leaving pals in hospitality drinking 12-year-old malt whisky. Then, when showtime started, he took us to the stage, shaking hands on the way with all the guests and massive crew for the tour.

Madge pulled up to the stage in her blacked-out Merc — stopping for a quick kiss with her man before taking the stage to a deafening roar. For the last six months I have seen photos almost every day of Madonna leaving the gym in pieces after putting herself through hell to be in perfect condition for her gigs.

And Guy, along with 60,000 other fans, was well impressed by just how incredibly fit she looks for a 50-year-old mum-of-two when she took to the stage for opening number Candy Shop.

He said: “Her legs are Olympic standard. She is in amazing shape. You won’t find a fitter bird than her. Her legs are so toned. She’s fitter than dancers on her tour who are half her age.”

BRITNEY SPEARS has a cameo role in the show, as The Sun revealed earlier this month. A video of the singer trapped in a lift is played during the performance of Human Nature.

Guy explained: “Britney in the lift is based on real footage the missus saw of someone stuck in a lift for 48 hours. The dancing is inspired by what happened inside.”

During an intricate dance routine with a skipping rope during Into The Groove, Guy joked: “Have you ever tried skipping? It’s not easy.” He also pointed out some of the characters involved in the show: “She nicked my old guitar teacher off me. His name’s Monte.

“He was in a heavy metal band. Now she’s nicked him for the show. He teaches her too.”

Guy nodded his approval throughout — especially during the clever links between the show’s four sections, with pumping dance music mixed in with her classic tracks. He said: “That’s one thing about the missus’s shows. They are non-stop. You get in, she’s on and then you have two hours of non-stop entertainment.”

Guy, who turns 40 in two weeks, watched the entire show wearing a pair of classy shades — not because he’s a poser but because his eyesight isn’t what it used to be. He added: “I haven’t seen a lot of the shows properly before because I always forget my glasses.”

You can’t blame a man married to Madonna for having trouble with his eyesight.

I couldn’t believe my eyes for most of the show on Saturday night...

Source: The Sun