Bono's 'independent' wife

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Bono wishes his wife wasn't so "independent".

The U2 frontman fears his wife of nearly 27 years Ali Hewson doesn't need him as much as he needs her.

The 49-year-old singer said: "Our relationship has changed a lot. For a while I thought I was in charge, I was the hunter-protector.

"A few years ago it became clear somebody else was in charge, and I feel I hold on a lot tighter to her than she does to me, and that slightly bothers me. She's so independent and sometimes I wish she wasn't."

But no matter how bad his personal life got, Bono would never complain because he doesn't think "whinging" ever helped anyone.

He told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper: "I can't stand cranks and whingers. My favourite quality is lack of self-pity. I really like people who have none.

"I know people who have just a tiny fragment of difficulty and they spend the rest of their life walking with a limp and I don't think I've had much to overcome in my life.

"When you're a singer in a band, you stick your neck out for a living. You get used to knocks. And I've noticed that the spleen and ire of your enemy usually take them out, not you, so you don't have to do anything."