It's been a big week for Ed Sheeran. Yesterday it was announced that his latest album Divide (styled ÷) has broken first-day stream records on Spotify, beating The Weeknd, who previously set the bar at 29 million with Starboy in November 2016.

But things haven't always been so easy for the 26-year-old. Opening up to Rolling Stone in an emotional interview, the singer-songwriter explained how a childhood stammer had resulted in him being bullied by his peers.

Ed also describes being made fun of for being bad at sports, for his red hair - and, most of all, for his childhood stutter.

Here at TheLADbible we think Ed Sheeran is a top lad...

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He told the magazine: "You'd put your hand up and not be able to speak. And kids are cruel. So once that would happen, someone would imitate it. And then you'd be like, 'I'm not going to put my hand up next time.' "

Though his dad suggested fighting to deal with his problems, Ed revealed that he found another way.

He said: "Most ginger-haired people I know are very outgoing and comedic.

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Credit: PA Images

"They basically say the joke before you can. Like, my first album is orange. There's a reason it's orange - I'm getting there before you can."

Ed also credits an unlikely source that helped him lose his stammer: Eminem

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He says that rapping along with Eminem's year 2000 released Marshall Mathers LP helped him lose the speech impediment.

The album includes classic tracks such as 'Stan', 'The Real Slim Shady' and 'The Way I Am', although sadly he didn't reveal specifically which bars he spat to overcome his stammer.

It's good to see he's smashing it. Here's exactly how his recent streaming record broke down...

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Ed's Big Streaming Smash

Ed Sheeran

Credit: PA Images

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Ed Sheeran's new album has done bits and then some.

Sheeran doubled The Weeknd's Storboy record, garnering 56,727,861 streams on Spotiy on March 3 alone.

Not enough for the British singer-songwriter, Ed lad went on to smash one-day stream records as well, with 'Shape of You' getting over 10 million streams last Friday.

Good going, right?

Stay seated, not only had Ed gone and tore his way through Spotify streaming records, but has got all 16 of his songs on Divide in the Top 50 chart.

Ed recently spoke about his desire to settle down by the time he turns 30, as his relationship with Cherry Seaborn becomes more serious.

He told OK! magazine, "I think the wheels should be in motion by the time I'm 30. But it's not really up to me.

"It's a two-way street. It has to be up to the partner as well."

Credit: PA Images



He also admitted to flying back home recently to have Sunday lunch with Cherry's family.

"Yes, and it was really nice," he said. "I haven't been where I live since Christmas.

"So I had a day off in Germany but I thought it was more important to go home and see my parents and have lunch at hers."

He might not have a reputation as much of a rebel, but Ed recently revealed he has a serious tattoo addiction...

Sheeran's Love Of Tats

Ed Sheeran is addicted to getting tattoos.

In the video for his new single Shape of You, Ed Sheeran gets physical. He's not dancing around, nor are we seeing photos and videos from his youth like from the last album.

He is training for a big fight, practising his boxing moves and working out - something a bit different for the 26-year old best friend of Taylor Swift.

We don't usually see them as he covers them up most of the time, but he's got two sleeves and his chest is a patchwork of tatts.

Credit:Instagram

He does draw the line at getting his face or neck tattooed. He told The Sun: "You will never see them in a suit. I want to get married and look great. But if I hadn't have got them out in this music video then no one would know I even had them."

He gets the ink done to commemorate something happening in his life. Visiting a new place, a music achievement and sometimes just because he really likes ketchup.

Credit:Instagram



Ed explained he got this tattoo for a song he wrote:"It's a little broken love heart with a no entry sign for a song on the album (Hearts Don't Break Around Here)."

He got the lion on his chest in 2015 because he had three sell-out gigs in Wembley. "The England crest is three lions, but I got one instead," he said.

He paid tribute to ketchup in 2012 when he played a gig in Ohio. He tweeted: "No one is too good for ketchup. Ketchup is too good for you."

