Ed Sheeran reveals secret struggle with substance abuse was the reason for his year off
'I didn’t really notice it was happening. It just started gradually happening, and then some people took me to one side and were like, ‘Calm yourself down''
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ed Sheeran has revealed that his year-long break from the music industry, announced in October 2015, was due to struggles with substance abuse.
The musician opened up about his decision on the latest episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, airing tonight, and how his issues stemmed from the difficulty of coping with newfound fame.
"I think you need to, when you get into the industry, adjust to it — and I didn’t adjust because I was constantly working on tour," he confessed (via People). "And all the pitfalls that people read about, I just found myself slipping into all of them. Mostly, like, substance abuse."
"I never touched anything. I started slipping into it, and that’s why I took a year off and buggered off," he added.
"I didn’t really notice it was happening. It just started gradually happening, and then some people took me to one side and were like, ‘Calm yourself down.' It’s all fun to begin with, it all starts off as a party and then you’re doing it on your own and it’s not, so that was a wake-up call and taking a year off."
"I focused on work, and I can't work under the influence. I can't write songs under the influence. I can't perform under the influence. So, the more I worked, the less [that happened]," he continued. "I've worked my whole life to get to where I am, and you can't lose that over something that you do in your spare time."
Back in 2015, Sheeran said he wanted a year off to, "get rid of my iPhone, get rid of internet, get a Nokia 3310 and just go off into the wilderness somewhere for a bit. Even if it's just a month without contact with other people."
He was recently forced to postpone the Asian leg of his world tour after breaking both arms and a rib in a bicycle accident, after being warned pushing himself to perform could destroy his ability to play the guitar.
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments