Ed Sheeran Opens Up About His 'Addictive Personality': 'It Starts Getting Sad'
Koury Angelo
Ed Sheeran is reflecting on how his "addictive personality" led to struggles with binge eating and drinking.
During an interview for the Hay House Chasing the Present Summit, the "Shape Of You" singer, 29, reflected on his unhealthy lifestyle during his x World Tour in 2015.
"For me, it was down to bad diet, drinking and then not seeing sunlight at all, so I was touring. Oh, and I wasn't exercising," the Grammy winner recalled. "I would stay up and drink all night. The buses would park underneath arenas and I'd sleep on the bus all day and then wake up and then come out, do the show, drink, get back on the bus. I didn't see sunlight for like maybe like four months."
"It's all fun and games at the start ... it's all rock and roll and then it starts getting just sad," Sheeran added. "So, I think that was probably the lowest that I've been."
The "Perfect" singer — who announced in December he was taking another reprieve from music — went on to say that many of his personal struggles arose from "a very, very addictive personality."
"I'm reading Elton John's book at the moment and there are so many things that he did that I do," he explained. "He would be like, 'I would just go on an ice cream binge and eat four f---ing desserts until I threw it up,' and I was like, 'Oh, I've done that before.' "
"Or his martini binges," Sheeran added, "where he sees how many martinis he can drink. And I'm like, 'I've done that before too.' "
Sheeran acknowledged that he would tend to not behave moderately, particularly when it came to his relationship with food and alcohol.
"I think with addiction, it's just very hard to moderate, but moderation is the key," he said. "I'm covered in tattoos and I don't do things by halves, so if I'm gonna drink, I kind of see no point in having a glass of wine. I'd rather have two bottles of wine."
"They used to call me two-dinner Teddy because I used to order two meals and eat that. Then you start putting on loads of weight and hating the way you look. Things like sugar, sweet stuff, junk food, cocaine, alcohol, it feels good the more you do, but it's the worst thing for you."
"Basically, everything in moderation," the star advised. "Exercise can really help. You feel better, but also you start looking better and when you look better, you're looking in the mirror and being like, 'Oh, maybe I don't hate myself today.' "
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- "Alec Baldwin" Episode 1718 -- Pictured: (l-r) Musical guest Ed Sheeran performs on February 11, 2017 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)
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Ultimately, Sheeran credits his now-wife Cherry Seaborn with helping him focus on a happy and healthy lifestyle.
"She exercises a lot, so I went and started going on runs with her," he said. "She eats quite healthily, so I started eating quite healthily with her. She doesn't drink that much, so I wasn't drinking. I think that all changed things."
