Ed Sheeran says his life has ‘massively’ improved since quitting Twitter as he’s no longer paranoid about what people think of him
TWITTER has a big problem right now as hate increasingly pollutes the once-great social media platform.
And it’s not going to get any easier for bosses, as ED SHEERAN has told me his life has “massively” improved since quitting and he thinks trolling could push creative stars “over the edge”.
Despite having more than 20million followers, the Divide star left Twitter because the constant hate was affecting how he lived his life.
Ed told me: “All the things that get blown up on Twitter are all so, so, so negative. Nothing’s being celebrated.
“On Instagram it’s like, ‘Yay this’ whereas Twitter is like, ‘No, f*** this’.
“I know some people don’t like my music — I’m aware of that. But I’m also aware that a lot of people do.
“Hearing people’s opinions — especially people I’ve never met — on my character forms a sort of paranoia in you.
“No one actually says it to my face so I just don’t hear it anymore.
“Like, I’ll go to things and just assume people don’t like me just because I read so much. So now not reading it gives my head a bit more of a break.”
That break also applies to fans who used to tweet the Castle On The Hill hitmaker positive comments.
Ed explained: “I don’t hear any noise whatsoever, but that goes on the other side of things as well.
“I don’t hear the positive or the negative so my ego’s not getting inflated or ripped to shreds. You can kind of stay very level.”
However, there’s a serious side to the Twitter trolling which Ed believes will continue to push people to their psychological limit.
He said: “It has a huge impact because of the way you view yourself and the insecurities that get brought out by other people.
“All the insecurities just get placed in your head anyway. But I think to be a creative human being you have to be a little bit f***ing weird anyway — like a little bit on the edge of madness.
“You have to be on the spectrum, basically.
“And when you have someone that’s on the spectrum and you basically hurl loads of insults at them, it’s going to tip them over the edge at some point.”
Having experienced the dark forces that use Twitter to systematically troll people, I couldn’t agree with Ed any more.
Twitter bosses need to find a way to combat the negativity or risk being left with no one famous tweeting other than the US President.
Gong for a curry
ED celebrated his MBE by going for dinner with his family at his local Indian restaurant.
He told me: “It was a really nice curry house. We probably had five beers each.”
During the presentation PRINCE CHARLES discussed his sales success. Ed recalled: “He said, ‘Are you selling a lot of records?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah’. Then he said something about gigs for the Princes Trust and stuff like that. It was cool, he was nice.”
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Powers Dressing
VICTORIA BECKHAM takes a break from girl power to channel Austin Powers.
The designer went back to the Seventies in bell-bottom flares as she was seen nipping into her store in Mayfair, West London, to tend to her fashion empire on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the former SPICE GIRL joined husband DAVID and kids Romeo, Cruz and Harper at the National History Museum’s ice rink, which they had to themselves for an hour before it opened to the public.
I wouldn’t fancy seeing Posh on the ice in those heels.
bizbit
SHIRLEY BALLAS’s son Mark, a pro on the US version of Strictly, is heading into music. He has released a cover of We Three Kings with his wife BC Jean and singer CASEY ABRAMS. They will start work on their third EP in early 2018.
Vanessa's ex waits as she waves Dubai
VANESSA WHITE is turning to a very special creature comfort following her stint in the I’m A Celeb TV jungle.
THE SATURDAYS star is back in touch with her ex-boyfriend Gary Salter – eight months after they ended a six-year romance.
I can reveal the menswear stylist messaged Vanessa before she jetted out to Australia for the ITV reality show last month.
Vanessa was due to fly back to the UK today. But sources said her hectic schedule has thrown the chance of a reunion into disarray – and she has decided to take some more time out to consider her future on holiday in Dubai.
A source said: “They haven’t moved on since the break-up. Both think ‘never say never’.”
I told how Vanessa split from Gary in April after dating him since she was 21.
Jungle star Vanessa, who Playboy want to sign up for a racy shoot, wrote on her Instagram page last night: “Couldn’t quite deal with the thought of coming home to the cold so decided to go to Dubai instead.”
Let’s hope Gary’s a patient man.
bizbit
BON JOVI, DIRE STRAITS and NINA SIMONE are among the stars to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame next year.
Frontman JON BON JOVI said: “We’re very happy about it. I really want to say it’s about time!”
Cheryl and the Girls might be back
THREE years have passed since CHERYL released her fourth solo album Only Human, but the wait may soon be over for new music.
She has confirmed for the first time that she is back in the studio working on songs, along with GIRLS ALOUD bandmate NICOLA ROBERTS – later tweeting about their successful day making music.
Back in October, Cheryl told me she wanted more time with her son Bear before relaunching her pop career, but clearly she is preparing for her return.
She said at the time: “I do have plans and I am receiving songs and music and stuff. I just want more time with Bear at the moment.”
Dua plays backup singer
THREE-piece LA band LANY had a star supporter cheering them on from the balcony during their show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Frontman PAUL KLEIN’s girlfriend DUA LIPA backed the singer as he performed on Tuesday evening.
The couple have been together since August. And Paul expressed his love for her, sharing this snap on Instagram with the line: “She’s perfect.”
Dua has had an incredible year, selling 4million singles in the UK alone. Here’s hoping 2018 is just as good for LANY.
intsaDAN
Has anyone seen Paul's Yellow Submarine?
bizbit
JAMIE LAWSON has released charity single Footprints In The Snow for Walking With The Wounded – a group that PRINCE HARRY is part of.
It aims to raise £250,000 to help change the lives of 400 ex-service personnel.
Styles steps in
IT is lucky JAMES CORDEN has plenty of showbiz friends, because he was in need of them yesterday.
He had to bail on his Late Late Show in the US after his wife went into labour, but his superstar pal HARRY STYLES was more than happy to step in at the last minute.
In his opening monologue, he joked: “Just half an hour ago, James and his wife Jules had a beautiful baby girl. In fact, I was just at the hospital before I came to fill in, and she looks a lot like James. Mainly because James looks like a giant baby.”
James, who has son Max and daughter Carey with Julia, later confirmed the news himself, tweeting at 2.44am yesterday: “Today we welcomed a beautiful baby daughter into the world. Both she and her mother are doing great. We can’t stop smiling.”
Massive congratulations to them both.
biz meter: film
- BOX OFFICE: PADDINGTON 2 has made marmalade of its competition by topping the UK box office once again in its fifth week of play, pushing its tally to £29.3million. Meanwhile, following its success in London, JAMES FRANCO’s The Disaster Artist had a full UK release, grossing £332,000 from 348 cinemas.
- RELEASE: JENNIFER LAWRENCE is an expert at playing feisty characters – from Katniss in The Hunger Games to Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook. Now she has signed up for another hard-hitting film role as Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland, in an adaptation of 2013 novel Burial Rites.
- STAR WARS: MARK HAMILL struggled to watch his co-star, the late CARRIE FISHER, onscreen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The actor, who plays Luke Skywalker in the hit series, said: “I got really choked up, it’s hard to see Carrie. She is so wonderful. She is still so alive in my mind.”
- CASTING: WOODY HARRELSON will join the likes of TOM HARDY, RIZ AHMED and MICHELLE WILLIAMS in Sony’s Venom movie. The film, which will be released in October 2018, will follow the character made famous by Marvel Comics. Harrelson is believed to be playing a henchman.
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Stormzy's Monopoly skills
STORMZY’s got serious skill with a mic in his hand but now he’s out to prove his talent with dice.
In a series of Snapchat posts, he said: “I’m going to hold a Monopoly night soon. I’m the best at this game. It’s one of those games you probably play at Christmas with your family.
“But I’m not f***ing bantering when I play Monopoly. I’m not on Christmastime Monopoly . . . I’m on big business.”
I’ve been part of many Monopoly games that end in tears.