AceShowbiz - Elton John is full of admiration for his pal Ellen DeGeneres, after she stood up to critics of her friendship with former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Pictures and video of Ellen and her partner Portia de Rossi enjoying a Dallas Cowboys game with George and his wife Laura last Sunday, October 6 sparked anger from Twitter users, who were furious due to the ex-politician's anti-LGBTQ stances and decision to go to war in Iraq.

However, Ellen remained defiant over her loyalty to her friend, and "Rocket Man" singer Elton admitted he appreciates the cultural point the comedian is making.

"I admire Ellen for standing up and saying what she said. George Bush has made a lot of mistakes. I made a lot of mistakes. Ellen DeGeneres has made a lot of mistakes," he told National Public Radio. "People need to come together...they need to respect people's view on life. Except when it's heresy, and I don't think George Bush is that kind of guy."

Ellen spoke out about the controversy on her chat show last week, telling fans: "People were upset: Why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative president? A lot of people were mad," she said, before explaining that she was friends with the Bushes.

"Here's the thing: I'm friends with George Bush, in fact I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have. We are all different and I think we've forgotten that that's OK that we're all different."

She added: "Just because I don't agree with someone on everything does not mean I'm not going to be friends with them."