Singer Ed Sheeran has announced he will self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, days before his new album = is released worldwide.
Coronavirus continues to pop up in the most unexpected places, doesn’t it? The 30-year-old Shivers hitmaker Ed Sheeran made the surprise announcement yesterday on Instagram to his 35.1 million followers.
With a new album on the way, the singer has had to cancel a number of press events, concerts, and similar in the wake of this announcement.
“Hey guys. Quick note to tell you that I’ve sadly tested positive for Covid, so I’m now self-isolating and following government guidelines. It means that I’m now unable to plough ahead with any in person commitments for now, so I’ll be doing as many of my planned interviews/performances I can from my house. Apologies to anyone I’ve let down. Be safe everyone x,” the British singer-songwriter wrote in his post and caption.
Sheeran was scheduled to appear on the US comedy show, Saturday Night Live, on November 6.
Sending so much love his way and hope he gets better soon ❤️
— Lily (@higher_tmh) October 24, 2021
According to Page Six, the singer’s positive status bars him from entering the US – forcing the show’s producers to find a replacement.
When speaking to the online news outlet, an SNL insider revealed that they are looking for “another singer who appeals to the same demo[graphic]”, citing Canadian pop stars Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes as comparisons. While there is a chance that the Perfect crooner could perform remotely, nothing has been set in stone.
“Ed is offering to perform live via a video link, but this isn’t something ‘SNL does’,” the source was quoted as saying. “The show likes to have the performer in studio.”
I hope he doesn’t get bad habits or shivers! (Jokes aside, I hope he recovers quickly.)
— Bel (@SashasPretty) October 24, 2021
Outside of his television commitments, the revelation has also thrown a spanner into Sheeran’s album rollout.
His fourth studio album, = (pronounced “equals”) is scheduled to be released this Friday (October 29). The Bad Habits hitmaker “was expected to join Apple Music’s Zane Lowe live … and had a number of other media commitments scheduled” to promote its release.
Prior to his diagnosis, Sheeran made an appearance at the 2021 Earthshot Prize awards – an award ceremony dedicated to celebrating environmentalists across the globe; hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Alexandra Palace in London.
The Afterglow musician was one of the show’s performers.
