Feast your eyes: Tyler Kennedy Stent's Ed Sheeran mural is complete

First look: Scaffolding removed from Sheeran mural. Source: ODT

After much controversy, Dunedin's Ed Sheeran mural is finally finished - complete with a tribute to Breakfast host Hayley Holt.

Artist Tyler Kennedy Stent posted the finished product to his Instagram page now that all the scaffolding has finally been removed, giving locals their first glimpse of the piece.

The mural, commissioned as part of the "Paint the Town Ed" campaign, kicked up controversy after it was revealed to be costing ratepayers more than $8000.

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Thanks to @teddysphotos , @lanewaybathst @dunedinstreetart @dunedinnz @chalkym and all of the people who offered food and coffee for all of the help! ❤ All done! #paintthetowned #winsorandnewton #watercolor #mural #painting #qorcoldpressgrounds #goldenpaints #resene #edsheeran

A post shared by tylerkennedystent (@tylerkennedystent) on Mar 12, 2018 at 1:45pm PDT

Amidst the controversy, TVNZ Breakfast's Hayley Holt spoke out against the mural saying, "This will stop me from going to Dunedin ... I do not want to see a giant mural of Ed Sheeran's mug. I'm sorry, he does my head in."

Holt's now been included in the mural with her name in a love heart, tattooed on the painted Sheeran's arm.

The "Paint the Town Ed" campaign is running ahead of Sheeran's three upcoming concerts in the city this Easter.

Sheeran has already responded to criticism in an interview with Seven Sharp in which he said: "It's up to them, I'm sure if it was my hometown and I had someone coming that I like I might do the same.

"I'm sure not everyone in New Zealand likes me so of course some people are going to be like 'that's a bad idea'," he said, adding: "The older I get the less I care about people's opinions, I never meet these people and when I do they're always super polite and nice."