Elton John Has Become a Daily Support for Ed Sheeran Amid COVID-19 Fight
Ever since singer Ed Sheeran announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19, he has had plenty of people in his corner for support. In a new interview for Apple Music with Zane Lowe, Sheeran revealed that one of those people is none other than Elton John. According to the "Bad Habits" singer, John has been calling him every day to check on him during his quarantine.
"He has literally rung me every day," Sheeran revealed. "I am feeding [his daughter] Lyra porridge in the morning and it's, 'Say hi to Elton.' There's not many people in my life like that and I really, really appreciate him." Sheeran also explained that this has been consistent behavior from John lately, especially since his close friend and mentor Michael Gudinski died in March. "When Michael passed away, [Elton] rang me to see how I was and I really wasn't good," Sheeran said.
Sheeran shared the news via Instagram on Oct. 24, beginning his message by saying that he tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently "self-isolating and following government guidelines." He went on to share that his diagnosis means that he will not be able to "plough ahead with any in person commitments for now." Sheeran will still be engaging in various interviews and performances, but they will only be conducted or performed from his home for the time being. The singer ended his message by writing, "Apologies to anyone I've let down. Be safe everyone."
Sheeran has quite a few commitments in the works as his new album, =, was released on Oct. 29. One of those commitments was only recently announced by Saturday Night Live. On last Saturday's show, which was hosted by former cast member Jason Sudeikis, the NBC series announced that Sheeran would be the musical guest for the Nov. 6 episode hosted by Succession star Kieran Culkin. While that date is less than two weeks away, it's unclear whether Sheeran will be well enough to take part in the episode. "SNL is figuring it out. Ed could even perform from home or producers will book a new musical guest," a source told ET. Sheeran was also a musical mentor on this week's episodes of The Voice, and luckily his segment was filmed in advance.
Sheeran announced that he would be releasing his newest album, =, back in August. According to Billboard, the "Shape of You" singer said that the album is "a really personal record and one that means a lot to me." He added, "My life changed greatly over the past few years — I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album. I see it as my coming-of-age record, and I can't wait to share this next chapter with you."