Ed: weird = memorable

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Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran believes that "looking a bit weird" helped further his career when he was starting out in music.

The Shape of You hitmaker admitted during an interview with DJ Nihal and rapper Dave for anti-racism campaign group Love Music Hate Racism that while he wasn't initially fond of his "quirky" appearance, he can now see how it has helped him to establish a successful music career.

"I have always looked a little bit quirky and I never had much luck with girls," he confessed. "It was always like I looked a bit weird, and then when I started playing music, every time I would do a gig everyone was like 'oh, it's the ginger guy with the small guitar', and you get remembered for that."

Ed went on to reveal that he was bullied at school because he was "ginger, had a stutter and wore huge glasses,"

"Because I was ginger I was instantly ripped into from the day I started school," the 28-year-old said. "I hated primary school with a passion. I would cry every single day."

Despite the negative experience, the Thinking Out Loud singer suggested that it was his interest in music that helped him to gain confidence and ultimately drove his career ambitions.

"I got to high school and started playing guitar," he recalled. "I joined a band, and music is just one of these things which gives you confidence and you're suddenly like 'wow I can actually do something well'."

Ed is now one of the most famous singers in the world, with a string of hits such as Thinking Out Loud, Castle on the Hill and The A Team under his belt.