Ed Sheeran has spoken of how the death of his friend opened his eyes to heartbreak.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was speaking about the night DJ Jamal Edwards died in 2022. Ed, 32, revealed how he had spoken to Jamal mere hours before his death.
Tragic Jamal, 31, died of cardiac arrhythmia, following cocaine use in February 2022. Ed said on the Late Late Show: "It was so sudden. I was speaking to him four hours before and it just happened. I was going through some stuff at that point.
Read more: Ed Sheeran to open up about death of close friend and wife's cancer on Late Late
"There were some health complications with my wife and I was just about to start this court case. It just felt like life had just gone, ‘You’re 30 now. This is what happens when you’re 30'."
Ed revealed how Jamal took him under his wing when he was a struggling musician in London. He told Ryan Tubridy: "Then I first moved to London, I was really trying hard to be noticed. And I was never taken seriously. I had scraggly ginger hair, I’d beatbox and rap. I was never booked on the cool nights. If I was booked on nights nobody turned up.
"I look back at it now and it was a struggle but I loved it at the time. I met Jamal and he ran SBCB which was the most influential, coolest channel at the time. We instantly clicked.
"I moved into his house that day and we started doing videos together. Every video that he uploaded of mine blew up.
"Because he was putting my music on his platform which usually wouldn’t have singers, songwriters on it. I met my manager through that. My record label signed me through that."
Fans took to Twitter to praise Ed's genuine nature and humble personality. One person said: "Ed Sheeran always comes across as very genuine and humble. No airs and graces despite his massive fame."
Another person said: "What a decent genuine guy." A third person said: "Understand Ed Sheeran isn't everyone's cup of tea but he seems like a decent fella. Must be hard to stay level-headed when you're probably a billionaire."
Read next:
Sarah McInerney pulls out of running to be next Late Late Show host
Barry Keoghan returns home to help launch fund supporting young people in Ireland
Bruce Springsteen fans pursue singer in Dublin pub - but find Dermot Kennedy instead
Charlie Bird issues update on attending 'bucket list' Bruce Springsteen concert
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
