Sir Elton John has offered parenting tips to Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan following the birth of their first child, baby daughter Palma, earlier this month.

The legendary singer, 78, who shares sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, with husband David Furnish, 62, said how important it was not to ‘fill kids with fear’ after his own childhood was spent ‘walking on egg shells’.

Elton, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, shared rare insight into fatherhood and his conscious bid to be different from ‘strict’ parents Sheila and Stanley. 

Mark interviewed the Crocodile Rock legend on Heart FM alongside co-host and fellow new dad Olly Murs, 40, when they asked for some pearls of wisdom.

Elton said: ‘I was brought up in a very strict household in the ‘50s. I grew up in fear of my mum and my dad and I said to David when we were having Zachary, I said: “I never want my kids to grow up in fear. I never want them to be afraid of us”‘.

‘I was walking on egg shells the whole time in my childhood. And it wasn’t a bad childhood but the fear of doing something wrong and I said to David: “that’s it, they mustn’t be filled with fear”.

Sir Elton John has offered parenting tips to Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan following the birth of their first child, baby daughter Palma, earlier this month

Mark interviewed the Crocodile Rock legend on Heart FM alongside co-host and fellow new dad Olly Murs, 40, when they asked for some pearls of wisdom (Mark and Michelle pictured)

The legendary singer (L) who shares sons Zachary, 14, and Elijah, 12, with husband David Furnish (R) said how important it was not to ‘fill kids with fear’ (pictured as a family in March)

He added: ‘Have discipline, of course, but no fear, no smacking, nothing. And it has worked beautifully, they have been fantastic’.

Elton previously described the strict code of behaviour and table manners in their house, the rules about not making a noise or kicking a football in the garden in case it damaged the rose bushes. 

Most of all, he described his dread of father Stanley’s homecomings, after being posted abroad with the RAF, when he’d be afraid of eating celery at the table in case the crunching enraged his father.

One story he often told was that his father refused to let him buy trendy Hush Puppies as a teenager. In revenge, when he became a glam rock star, Elton wore the most outrageous platform soles.

In 1960, Sheila and Stanley divorced. Reggie never forgave his father and, a quarter of a century later — in an interview — accused him of keeping all the proceeds from their house, while refusing to pay anything towards legal costs.

A sad and aggrieved Stanley would later point out the opposite had been true: he paid all the costs and gave Sheila half the proceeds from the sale, plus the car. 

Sheila died aged 92 in 2017, with the pair making up before her death, following an eight-year estrangement and very public fall out.

In 2016 Elton said: ‘I don’t miss her. When she says things in the press, like, “I haven’t spoken to Elton since he married that f****** a****** David Furnish”. That was pretty hard to take.’

Elton said: ‘I was brought up in a very strict household in the ‘50s. I grew up in fear of my mum and my dad and I said  “I never want my kids to grow up in fear” (Young Elton pictured)

‘I was walking on egg shells the whole time in my childhood. And it wasn’t a bad childhood but the fear of doing something wrong’ (Pictured with Mum Sheila in 1970)

He previously described the strict code of behaviour and table manners in their house, the rules about not making a noise or kicking a football (Elton’s father Stanley pictured) 

Sheila died aged 92 in 2017, with the pair making up before her death, following an eight-year estrangement and very public fall out (pictured together in 1998)

He added: ‘I don’t hate my mother. I look after her but I don’t want her in my life.’

It was the flamboyant musician who made the first approach, when he sent Sheila a large bouquet of white orchids for her milestone 90th birthday.

Read More Mark Wright’s sister Natalya cradles her newborn niece Palma in adorable snaps as the family celebrate Mother’s Day with a beachside lunch

The gift included a note which read: ‘Wow, 90! Congratulations. Love Elton, David, Zachary and Elijah,’ the first correspondence they’d shared in seven years.

Furthermore, Elton, who is reportedly worth £235 million, shelled out £30,000 for Sheila to undergo a double hip replacement, another major sign that the hatchet has been well and truly buried.

And a sign Sheila wanted to rebuild her relationship with her estranged son was none more apparent than when she invited an Elton impersonator to perform for guests at her 90th birthday party.

The fall out stemmed from a phone call between the pair in June 2008, which Sheila recounted in great detail to The Daily Mail.

Following a reshuffling of his team, the Candle In The Wind singer demanded Sheila cut all ties with her longtime friends Bob Halley and John Reid, who had both been fired from his entourage.

Bob had been Elton’s loyal chauffeur turned personal ᴀssistant for 30 years, while John successfully managed the musician from the beginning of his career and throughout his glory days, as well as briefly becoming romantically involved with the superstar. 

Mark and Michelle announced the birth of their first child, a daughter called Palma, earlier this month (pictured with Michelle in 2022)

The couple have shared a slew of stunning snaps of the tot with followers  

Meanwhile Olly  welcomed daughter Madison with wife Amelia last April (pictured together)

Since Sheila had known the two men for decades, and particularly valued their support and companionship in her later years, she flatly refused to cut them out of her life.

As far as she was concerned, they had always taken care of her throughout the years she had spent travelling the world with Elton and thus deserved her loyalty.

And unlike so many of Elton’s entourage, she was not afraid to refuse her son’s demands.

‘I told him: “I’m not about to do that and drop them. Bob is like a son to me. He has always been marvellous to me and he lives nearby and keeps an eye on me.”‘

Elton, not used to being defied, flew into an expletive-filled rage.

‘Then to my utter amazement, he told me he hated me. And he then banged the phone down. Imagine! To me, his mother!’