We all know Ed Sheeran dresses a bit like a homeless person, but it turns out he actually used to be one too. Ed Sheeran, the chirpy singer-songwriter/ginger-hair-haver, has revealed that he was effectively homeless for a few years and slept under an arch near Buckingham Palace.
The Mail published an extract of his new book called A Visual Journey, which charts his life from a scruffy student singer to a scruffy multi-millionaire. Sheeran moved to London back in 2007 from Suffolk at 16 so he could study at music college. However, when his course finished, he struggled to make ends meet and found himself without a bed for the night.
“There was an arch outside Buckingham Palace that has a heating duct and I spent a couple of nights there.”
Little did he know that he’d be back at the ol’ Queen’s gaff just a couple of years later to perform at her Diamond Jubilee concert.
Ed added: "I didn't have anywhere to live for much of 2008 and the whole of 2009 and 2010, but somehow I made it work.
"I knew where I could get a bed at a certain time of night and I knew who I could call at any time to get a floor to sleep on. Being sociable helped. Drinking helped."
"I spent a week catching up on sleep on Circle Line trains.
"I'd go out and play a gig, wait until 5am when the Underground opened, sleep on the Circle Line until 12, go to a session – and then repeat. It wasn't that bad."
Being stuck on the tube can be pretty grim at the best of times, let alone having to sleep on there for seven hours. Poor Ed.
/p>
At least things are a lot better for the 23-year-old now. As he owns a large farm in Suffolk and a ranch in Nashville near his bestie Taylor Swift.
Recently he performed at a private house party - with guests including the likes of David Cameron - and stuffed his pockets with bread rolls. Old habits die hard and all that.