Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine about Sheeran's hiatus, he said: "Yeah he was so omnipresent. I said, 'Ed even I'm sick of you. Go away.'
"And he did. He just went to the far east with his girlfriend, had a great time, put on a lot of weight, ate food and came back.
"One thing I said to him when he went, I said, 'Don't put on weight', because he is prone to put on weight like I am. And he came back heavy, but he lost it all for the album.
"He just went away and had a great time. And it was the most brilliant thing he could have done, because it refreshes your soul - not that I ever did it.
"I'm not one for going to the Far East and walking around with a backpack on; I just find that not my cup of tea. I'm too much involved with other things. But he did it, and it's the best thing he could have done."
- Bang! Showbiz