Ed Sheeran says he felt ‘embarrassed’ by mental health struggles ‘as a father’

‘No one really talks about their feelings where I come from,’ Sheeran said. ‘People think it’s weird getting a therapist in England’

Ed Sheeran has opened up about the shame he experienced while struggling with his mental health.

The 32-year-old singer-songwriter explained that he felt “selfish” because of his role as a father, and revealed that he started seeing a therapist following a period of particularly bad depression.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Sheeran said that he “felt like I didn’t want to live anymore” after the unexpected deaths of two of his friends: Australian cricketer Shane Warne and SBTV founder Jamal Edwards.

“I have had that throughout my life,” he continued. “You’re under the waves drowning. You’re just sort of in this thing. And you can’t get out of it.”

The “Lego House” songwriter said that he considered the thoughts to be selfish “especially as a father... I feel really embarrassed about it,” he added.

“I’ve always had real lows in my life. But it wasn’t really till last year that I actually addressed it.”

Sheeran also spoke about the scepticism that surrounds therapy in the UK, when compared to its prevalence in the US.

“No one really talks about their feelings where I come from,” he said. “People think it’s weird getting a therapist in England.

“I think it’s very helpful to be able to speak with someone and just vent and not feel guilty about venting. Obviously, like, I’ve lived a very privileged life. So my friends would always look at me like, ‘Oh, it’s not that bad.’”

Sheeran performing at the Brit Awards 2022 (Getty Images)

Sheeran is also the focus of a forthoming four-part documentary set to be released on Disney+.

In a trailer for the series, the artist could be seen breaking down in tears over Edwards’ death.

Edwards, who was awarded an MBE for his work in the music industry, died in February last year, from a cardiac arrest after taking cocaine.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

In the Rolling Stone interview, Sheeran also said that his friend’s death made him stop using drugs altogether.

“I would never, ever, ever touch anything again, because that’s how Jamal died. And that’s just disrespectful to his memory to even, like, go near,” he said.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.

If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.

In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.