It’s 2007. A 16-year-old with spiky ginger hair is trying to dance. As he awkwardly stomps his feet, you can practically see the cogs in his brain whirring. In front of him, an unimpressed Arlene Phillips shakes her head. “Not even an option,” she says, with a look of disdain. “Ed hasn’t a clue what he’s doing.” Nevertheless, her fellow judges – West End producer David Ian and music producer Chris Neil – see something in this scruffy young troubadour with two left feet. “His voice is what Britannia High is all about,” Neil insists, jumping to his defence. Fast-forward to 2023, and the boy who goes by the name Ed Sheeran is now one of the bestselling artists of all time, a Brit and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who’s even popped up in Game of Thrones.
