NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Ed Sheeran reveals how working with Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes led to bulimia battle

NZ Herald
8 May, 2023 09:24 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ed Sheeran says working with the likes of Justin Bieber, who has a 'fantastic figure', sparked a battle with his own body. Photo / Getty Images

Ed Sheeran says working with the likes of Justin Bieber, who has a 'fantastic figure', sparked a battle with his own body. Photo / Getty Images

Ed Sheeran has spoken out about his ongoing battle with his weight, revealing he’s struggled with an eating disorder sparked by working with certain pop stars, but has found the key to keeping himself healthy.

Appearing on CBS Sunday Morning over the weekend, the pop star, who has previously discussed his bulimia battle, called himself a “fat bloke” before sharing how he keeps his “weight in check now”.

“I keep my weight in check now because I do a lot of exercise, but I’ve just always been a fat bloke.”

While the interviewer told Sheeran, “You’re not fat,” the Shape of You singer explained he’s constantly cautious of keeping his weight down and that his bulimia began when he started comparing himself to other pop stars.

Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine in March, he revealed after collaborating with Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber, who he says “both have fantastic figures”, he began struggling with his image.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran wrote hit track I Don't Care together. Photos / Getty Images
Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran wrote hit track I Don't Care together. Photos / Getty Images

While he confessed to being “mad uncomfortable” about speaking out about bulimia and was concerned about “becoming the poster boy for [bulimia]”, he told CBS Sunday Morning: “I think what is important about speaking about it is letting people know that it is not a problem that is just for one gender.”

Sheeran also addressed recent headlines following his court battle over a Marvin Gay song in which he was accused of stealing components of the classic 1973 track Let’s Get It On for his hit Thinking Out Loud.

Kathryn Townsend Griffin (centre), daughter of singer and songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Let's Get it On. Photo / AP
Kathryn Townsend Griffin (centre), daughter of singer and songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Let's Get it On. Photo / AP

He told CBS Sunday Morning: “There’s, like, four chords that get used in pop songs ...

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“And if you just think mathematically, the likelihood of this song having the same chords as this song? There’s multiple, multiple songs. It’s all the same four chords – some of them are like A, B, C...”

But last Friday morning, a jury concluded Sheeran didn’t steal key components of the song.

After three hours of deliberation, the unanimous verdict was reached by seven jurors in a New York City.

Speaking to People magazine following the decision Sheeran said: “I feel like the truth was heard and the truth was believed.

“It’s nice that we can both move on with our lives now — it’s sad that it had to come to this.”

If you know someone with an eating disorder, or are struggling with one yourself, you can reach out to the following places:

  • Eating Disorder New Zealand: 0800 2 EDANZ
  • Youthline: 0800 376 633
  • What’s Up (for 5-18 year olds): 0800 942 8787
  • thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626
  • Healthline- 0800 611 116
  • Voices of Hope
  • Love your Kite: An App resource to support Eating Disorder Recovery


Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Opinion

F1 movie review: Can Brad Pitt save his own film from plot holes?

24 Jun 04:00 AM
Entertainment

Bruce Willis' family shares touching moments amid health battle

24 Jun 01:44 AM
Entertainment

'28 Years Later': Ralph Fiennes stars in new Danny Boyle horror film

23 Jun 08:25 AM

Inside Leigh Hart’s bonkers quest to hand-deliver a SnackaChangi chip to every Kiwi

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

F1 movie review: Can Brad Pitt save his own film from plot holes?

F1 movie review: Can Brad Pitt save his own film from plot holes?

24 Jun 04:00 AM

OPINION: There's enough for old-school and new-school fans alike.

Bruce Willis' family shares touching moments amid health battle

Bruce Willis' family shares touching moments amid health battle

24 Jun 01:44 AM
'28 Years Later': Ralph Fiennes stars in new Danny Boyle horror film

'28 Years Later': Ralph Fiennes stars in new Danny Boyle horror film

23 Jun 08:25 AM
Johnny Depp has ‘empty-nest syndrome’

Johnny Depp has ‘empty-nest syndrome’

23 Jun 08:24 AM
Why wallpaper works wonders
sponsored

Why wallpaper works wonders

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP