Singer Ed Sheeran has attributed a significant shift in his lifestyle to fatherhood, stating that becoming a parent has encouraged him to "make good decisions".
The 34-year-old’s remarks come after he garnered widespread attention earlier this year for documenting his fitness journey, including a viral TikTok video showcasing his reformer pilates workout routine.
Sheeran told Men’s Health UK: “I became a dad. It all came in at the same time of wanting to be a responsible dad, wanting to feel and look good.”
He added: “I think, underneath it all, I am a pizza-eating, beer-guzzling smoker, but that’s just not my reality as a parent in my 30s.
“I think that you have to make good decisions.”
The Shape Of You singer and his wife, Cherry Seaborn, welcomed their first child Lyra in 2020.
The pair, who got married in December 2018, have since welcomed their second child – Jupiter – who was born in 2022.
Sheeran also described seeing the workout regime of rapper Stormzy as “a catalyst” in improving his fitness and wellness habits.
He said: “I look at someone like Stormzy and the training that he goes through to go on tour and that was definitely a catalyst.
“I went to play with him in 2021 and he was doing a hundred press-ups before he went on stage and I was staring at him like, ‘What the f*** is this about?'”
Stormzy, real name Michael Ebenezer Owuo Junior, has performed with Sheeran at the 2017 Brit Awards, and the pair have collaborated on songs Own It and Take Me Back To London.
Sheeran also commented on how his lifestyle in his 20s affected him mentally, and said: “I would say I lived a pretty unhealthy life from 20 to 30.
“I do think that wellness is a direct mirror to mental health and the way you feel.
“I always felt like shit within myself; I’d wake up and look in the mirror and just feel gross.”
The singer-songwriter is best known for his songs The A Team, Lego House, Sing, and Don’t.
He has had 14 UK number one singles and nine UK number one albums, and his latest album, Play, was released in September this year.
The full interview with Sheeran can be read in the January/February issue of Men’s Health UK, on sale from December 23.
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