- A feature from the March 2016 issue of Suffolk Norfolk Life magazine
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- People
Greg Davis meets the worldwide star and multi-award winning musician Ed Sheeran…
I met recently with Ed at the University Campus Suffolk awards ceremony where he received his Honorary Degree for outstanding contribution to music. We talked about his time abroad, his love of Suffolk, plans for the future and much more…
How do you feel receiving the UCS award?
“It’s a big honour coming from a county I have taken a lot from. I’ve grown up here, made all my mistakes here, got my best memories here and made all my friends here.”
Having travelled the globe performing in countless countries, which places have stood out to you and why?
“I really liked India. Sometimes when I go to play in countries I have never been to, there’s a big ex-pat community; in Dubai we sold out a 30,000 seater stadium and I knew it was all ex-pats going to that and an English fan base. We sold out 20,000 tickets in Mumbai, and I was like it must have a big ex-pat English community there, but there were no English people at all: it was all locals. I don’t sell many records in India and didn’t know there wasn’t a huge record market there. After the gig in India there was this big Bollywood actor that came down. I’ve never seen a Bollywood film, but this dude has like 21 million followers on Twitter. We ended up in what is the equivalent of Beverley Hills in Mumbai, which is in the middle of a shanty town. It’s a weird thing, a big big mansion, gold plated, in the middle of a shanty town. We went there for his niece’s wedding I think. Amazing experience, dancing and food.”
Would you base yourself anywhere else in the world?
“No. I just bought a place in London as I work there so much and I have a place in Suffolk. I don’t need to live anywhere else. I am not in my own house enough to warrant getting somewhere else, and this is my home town. I might think of going to live somewhere for like 6 months maybe, and renting a place but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Hosting Europe MTV music awards, have you done any presenting?
“Yeah, and I was really bad at it which is why I am surprised to be asked. MTV saw the last awards show I hosted and liked it. It was really bad: I was really drunk, and introduced acts badly.”
Ed did brilliantly at the Awards alongside Ruby Rose, offering his own personal style of presentation. Ed also received two awards on the night for Best Live Act and Best Live Stage (V Festival 2014 performance). Congratulations!