30 March 2023 , 20:01
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Ed Sheeran has opened up about his final conversation with friend Jamal Edwards and shared how he spoke with the late star just hours before his death.
The dad-of-two explained to Jonathan Ross how much Jamal meant to him and how the late son of Loose Women star Brenda Edwards help make his successful career possible.
Ed, 32, also admitted he would consider the idea of reality TV shows with Russell Crowe, Lily Allen, Michael Buble and Desiree Burch on the Jonathan Ross Show on Saturday.
While the celebrities discuss whether they have ever been approached for a reality TV show, Sheeran says: “The one I would do is probably I’m A Celebrity… (Get Me Out Of Here!) it looks quite fun.
“Genuinely. It looks fun. If I had time off, you go in a jungle with a bunch of people you sort of know. I’m not going to do it – I do like the idea of it.”
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Appearing on the ITV chat show, Sheeran also reflects on how “everything started falling into place” after his late friend and music entrepreneur, Jamal Edwards, helped launch his career.
Jamal helped kickstart Ed's globally successful music career (Jamal Edwards/Instagram)
Jamal tragically died at the age of 31 in February 2022 (PA)Speaking about attracting attention after Edwards uploaded a video of Sheeran to his popular YouTube channel SBTV, Sheeran explains: “I was this struggling up-and-coming musician wanting anyone to take me seriously and no-one was taking me seriously.
“I was fat, scraggly ginger hair, I had a tiny guitar and I used to rap and beatbox and everyone kind of saw me as a joke.
“Jamal put me on his channel, which at the time on YouTube was the coolest channel to be on, and as soon as he put me on, everything started to fall into place.”
Edwards. who died in February last year at the age of 31, founded the music platform SBTV in 2006.
Ed has recalled his last phone call with best friend Jamal just hours before his tragic passing (jamaledwards/Instagram)
Jamal and Ed had been best friends for years (Jamal Edwards/Instagram)It also helped to launch the careers of Stormzy and Jessie J.
Sheeran adds: “The day he passed away we were meant to be shooting a music video.”
When asked when he last had spoke to Edwards before he died, Sheeran reveals: “Four hours, probably.”
Sheeran recently released hit single Eyes Closed and an accompanying music video, which sees the singer being followed by a blue monster, serving as a metaphor for grief.
Speaking about the process of grieving his friend, Sheeran says: “Grief is a very solitary thing, you think you’re the only one going through it, but obviously lots of people understand stuff.
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Jamal helped launch the careers of stars such as Jessie J and Ed Sheeran (Jamal Edwards/Instagram)“I felt after Jamal’s death everyone rallies around people and then, after a week, it kind of goes and you’re meant to get back to normal life.
“Grief is something you live with – it has to be something you embrace in a way.”
He adds: “I’ve got amazing memories of him that make me happy but also sad at the same time.”
The singer’s sixth studio album called – (the mathematical symbol for subtract), is billed for release on May 5 and will feature 14 tracks written and recorded with The National’s Aaron Dessner in February last year.
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 21:40 on ITV1 and ITVX.