U2 singer Bono is never photographed without his trademark sunglasses because he suffers from an eye condition.

The VERTIGO star is aware his ever-present shades have given him a reputation as a poser, while the initial 'B' engraved on the side of them - which he claims stands for the brand, Bulgari - doesn't help either.

He tells the New York Daily News, "(I have) very sensitive eyes to light.

"If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day. My right eye swells up.

"A lot of people think that, when they see a 'B' on the side, that it's just my own megalomania. Only half the time it is. I'm the (former Filipino first lady) Imelda Marcos of sunglasses."