Now that Ed Miliband is playing Latitude festival, he’s entitled to a rock star rider, but the MP has only one diva demand: no bacon sandwiches backstage.

Ed, 48, and radio DJ Geoff Lloyd, 45, have stipulated that the offending food be banned from their area as they record their Reasons to be Cheerful podcast on Sunday at the festival.

“Our tour manager sends out a rider, but while a lot of bands send out what they want in the dressing room, Ed insists on no bacon sandwiches,” reveals Geoff, with Ed agreeing: “Definitely.”

Ed was widely mocked when a photo of him awkwardly struggling to eat a bacon roll became a PR disaster in 2014, while he was leader of the Labour party.

Post-sandwich, he’s been able to relax a bit, admitting that he felt “constrained” by the role.

“Not being Leader of the Opposition has allowed me to find what personality I have and put it on display,” he chuckles.

(Image: PA)

Bizarrely, the MP for Doncaster North has amassed a cult Milifandom – with one loyal fan crafting a pair of Ed earrings to wear to their recordings.

“She has Ed dangling from her earlobes,” laughs Geoff.

“We’ve also got a listener who very carefully makes scenes from the podcast rendered in Lego.”

Ed adds he’s “flattered” to return to Radio 2 this afternoon, to cover for Jeremy Vine, after the success of last year’s toilet-flushing feature.

“When toilets was proposed, I did think, ‘Is this what I’ve come to?’. But actually, it was really good,” he accepts.

Ed’s not taking his new popularity for granted, however, admitting: “I have to worry about bottles of urine at Latitude.”