Ed Sheeran said on Tuesday that he has had shingles for the last month and is now on the mend, telling his 48.7 million Instagram followers that he shaved his hair to mark a fresh start. The 35-year-old singer said there are a lot of new beginnings in his life at the moment and added that he loves the shaved look, saying he is thinking of keeping it this way.
Sheeran said he is “so excited” to perform more shows in South America, saying it has been “too long” since he last played there. He recently finished a run of gigs in Australia and New Zealand and said he will continue the tour next month, with upcoming dates in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico and Chile.
Shingles is an infection that causes a painful rash, and Sheeran said the illness had been with him through the last month of travel and recovery. In the same post, he told fans he had finally watched the final series of Stranger Things, recommended Barbara Kingsolver’s novel Demon Copperhead and said he has become interested in buying vinyl records during his break from touring.
The post was as much a reset as an update. Sheeran has hits including Lego House and Thinking Out Loud, and the new haircut drew a quick reaction from singer Myles Smith, who wrote: “Need a skin fade bruv.” For now, the singer says he is feeling better, looking ahead and ready to get back to work.
