Elton John and husband David Furnish's strict and non negotiable rule for their kids

Band sing to Sir Elton John and Kevin Spacey

Elton John and David Furnish are proud parents to two sons, Zachary and Elijah, with whom they spend every spare moment, and mealtimes are no exception.

The longtime couple share that they enjoy having discussions with their children at the dinner table, so they prohibit modern entertainment devices like TVs or phones.

In conversation with River Cafe owner Ruthie Rogers on her podcast Ruthie's Table 4, David shared: "Meals are sacred. So, no phones at the table. No television on in the background.

"It's all about conversation. It's all about connection. It's where we catch up because we all have busy lives, and we hear about each other's days.

"And during lockdown, where we were with the boys three meals a day, when we just talked all the time about what was going on in the world and told funny stories, or learned about his history, or my history, And the food is, is part of that which brings you together."

Elton John is a proud father to two sons. (Image: Getty)

During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Tiny Dancer singer described his kids with David as "the greatest thing in our lives."

"If you’d had said to me 10 years ago I’d be sitting on your show married to the man I love and have two beautiful children, I would have said, ‘You put acid in my drink.’

"But life throws you challenges and life throws you curveballs — great curveballs — and these two children have come along at a time I never thought I’d have children," he said.

"There’s no words to describe how much we love these boys. They’re just amazing."

Elton and David don't allow their children to use phones at the table. (Image: Getty)

In his documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2024, the singer shared that his sons have expressed worry about his morality.

Elton said, "They love their daddy, so they want me to be around forever, [and] I would love to be around forever," before adding, "I want to see them have children and get married.

"I don't think I'm going to be around for that ... So that's why I want to use the best of my time while I'm around. Time together is so wonderful and so precious."

Elton and David welcomed their first son, Zachary Jackson Levon, who was delivered via surrogate, on Dec. 25, 2010, in California.

These days, Zachary is a huge football fan. Elton and Zachary often attend the games of their favourite team, Watford FC, which the singer acted as the chair of from 1976 to 2002. In September 2018, he shared a photo of the father-son duo cheering on the team from the stands. In the shot, Zachary is all smiles as he raises his arms above his head.

On Jan. 11, 2013, Elton and David welcomed their second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel, in Los Angeles via the same surrogate.

Like his brother, Elijah is also interested in football. In July 2021, Elton shared a photo of him and both his boys cheering on England's national team in the Euro 2020 game from their home.

Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast invites a range of notable guests to the iconic River Café to discuss their memories of food. The podcast is available to listen to on Spotify.