Elton John is a father

Elton John and David Furnish are parents to a baby son.

The boy, named Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born on Christmas Day in California, weighing 7lbs and 15 ounces.

The British singer and his partner said they are delighted with their new arrival and are already very proud parents.

"We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment," Elton and David said in a joint statement. "Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents."

Elton and David have been together for 17 years but married in 2005.

Zachary is their first child together, and the couple are not planning to disclose the identity of the surrogate.

“A rep for the couple has stated that they intend to protect and respect the privacy of their surrogate, and will not be discussing any details relating to the surrogacy arrangements,”.