Elton John reveals strict diabetic diet

Elton John has opened up about the strict diet he follows for his diabetes.

• READ MORE: Elton John: “I’m not interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past”

The singer, songwriter and pianist appeared as a guest on Ruthie’s Table podcast with host Ruth Rogers. During the interview, John revealed the dietary restrictions he has to follow since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the early 2000s.

“I can have an apple, I can eat a bit of melon. As long as you’re sensible about it, it doesn’t shoot your blood sugar up,” he said. However, he shared that the reality is that he craves sweets.

“But what I crave is chocolate and ice cream. I can’t have any ice cream,” the ‘Bennie And The Jets’ singer said.

Describing his dream “death row” meal – the foods he would indulge in as his last meal if he were to be executed – John said: “I like all sorts of things that aren’t good for me. Fried chicken, doughnuts.

“If I had a death row meal, it wouldn’t contain anything except sweets, because I can’t eat them now. So, I’d have ice cream, doughnuts, apple pie, rhubarb crumble, blah blah blah.”

The pop icon also shared what his choice of meal to eat prior to hitting the stage is. “It would be probably a little steak and some vegetables,” he said. “Just some protein and some vegetables because you can’t go on stage when you feel like you’ll fall out. It’s very unpleasant. That would be it. It was a ritual.”

Last month, John told fans “there’s not much of me left” following multiple surgeries due to health issues.

While speaking at the premiere of his upcoming career-spanning documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, he said “To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left. I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix. I don’t have a prostate, I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip. But I’m still here.”

The comments came after he revealed he had suffered from a “severe eye infection” that left him with “limited vision” in one of his eyes. “I am healing, but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye,” he said in a statement on Instagram.

Speaking at the premiere, John also addressed his decision to step back from touring following his farewell dates last year. “As you know, I decided to stop touring because I’m 77 years of age, I’ve done all there is to do, to play. I’ve succeeded. I’ve been there and I’ve done it,” he said.

“I’ve still got to make room because I’m still going to have music in my life. But the most important thing in my life are David, Zachary and Elijah, and my family and my friends. I found utopia and I’m so thrilled.”

His Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour began in 2018 and finally wrapped in Stockholm in July last year, earning over $900million (£708million) in gross ticket sales. At the time of its conclusion, it was the highest grossing tour of all time, but has since been overtaken by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres Tour.

Elsewhere, back in May, John’s writing partner Bernie Taupin said Elton was preparing to surprise release his 32nd studio album. “Elton and I have an album coming out very soon, but I daren’t say anything about it because I’m under strict orders to keep schtum. It’s all done and recorded,” he said. “I think it’s quite brilliant and quite contemporary and it will certainly surprise a lot of people and excite a lot of people and hopefully be successful.”

Speaking to NME as part of The Big Read back in 2021, John discussed his secret to longevity and said: “I just think: I know all the old stuff; I love the new stuff. It’s the future I’m interested in. I’m not interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past. I know I have to sing what I do onstage but I very, very rarely go back and listen to my own records. I’m more interested in hearing something new.”