Ed Sheeran 'announces semi-retirement' in emotional farewell to fans

He's been touring for two years!

Author: Emma DoddsPublished 28th Aug 2019

Ed Sheeran has announced he'll be 'going into semi-retirement' after being on tour solidly for two years. The 28-year-old, who secretly married his wife Cherry Seaborn in December 2018, told the audience at the final date of his 'Divide' tour on Monday (26th Aug) that he'd be taking some time off.

The 'Beautiful People' singer, who made it into the list of Top 20 richest UK musicians this year, revealed on stage at his gig in Suffolk - his hometown - that he was looking forward to spending time with his wife and chilling out for a bit.

According to the Mirror, Ed said, "As you may or not know, I've been on the Divide tour for over two years now and this is the last day of the whole thing. There is something very bittersweet about it. I love that you guys are here and we are ending it in Ipswich. This is my last gig for probably 18 months.

"We've played all around the world. Glastonbury, Wembley Stadium. All these amazing venues, America, New Zealand, Australia, Asia, South America - it's been a wild one. I was told before I came on that now at the end of this tour I've played to nine million people around the world. It is the biggest tour ever."

'End Game' with Ed Sheeran & Future - (2017)

Another collab with Taylor's good friend Ed Sheeran, who helped write the track. It was the first time Taylor had worked with Future, but it was her third collab with a rapper following 'Bad Blood' with Kendrick Lamar and 'Both of Us' with B.o.B.

Listen to 'End Game' on YouTube.

Ed Sheeran 'announces semi-retirement' in emotional farewell to fans
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Ed continued, "It's been an emotional day for a lot of people backstage. It kind of feels like, in a weird way, that you're breaking up with a girlfriend that you've been with for years. It sounds odd but it has been a long tour."

Changing out of his Ipswich Town football shirt and into a Framlingham Town one, Ed held back tears as he said, "This is a Framlingham Town football shirt. I am from Framlingham. Suffolk is my home. I am so happy to be ending this mammoth tour here.

"I want to say thank you to everyone on this tour. Thank you to everyone who has given me a chance. This is my last song. I wrote this when I was 15 years old. See you in a few years' time. Thank you."

In June, Ed revealed that he was looking to settle down and start a family, saying that he was "starting a life" with his wife and that he didn't want to spend the "next 20 years on the road," adding, "Kids would be the different thing. I wouldn't mind sacrificing for them."

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