Ed Sheeran Explains Why He Hasn't Owned A Mobile Phone Since 2015

Ed Sheeran has opened up about why he ditched his mobile phone and how incredible that's been.

The British singer hasn't owned a smartphone since 2015 after he felt overwhelmed by the idea of staying in contact with loads of people.

These feelings crept up quite suddenly after he concluded his worldwide 'x' tour.

He's explained what happened seven years ago during an interview on The Collector's Edition podcast.

The 'Shivers' star said: "I got really, really overwhelmed and sad with the phone. I just spent my whole time in a very low place."

He said it 'would stress me out' to reply to messages straight away so, instead of switching on screen time warnings or just handing it to an assistant, he got rid of it altogether.

Look, that decision certainly wouldn't sit well with some people in 2022. They wouldn't know what to do while their lunch was cooking in the microwave or when they're on a long bus journey.

But for Sheeran, he said it's been a life-saver for his mental health.

"It was, like, a veil just lifted... I didn't so much cut contact with people, I just limit contact with people," he said on the podcast.

"Now, I have an email... and every few days, I'll sit down and open up my laptop and I'll answer 10 emails at a time... And then I'll go back to living life and I don't feel overwhelmed by it."

So, he's essentially on a semi-permanent Out Of Office email mode. Let's hope none of his friends have anything urgent for him.

Sheeran complained how when he would go out with his mates they would be more preoccupied with their phones rather than the conversation.

He added that it was easier back in the day when everyone had a BlackBerry where you could only do so much with the device.

The singer said he can now have 'uninterrupted' bonding time with people close to him.

He made an exception last year to his no-phone rule so that NHS workers could track and trace him if he tested positive for coronavirus or became a close contact.

Sheeran told Jessie Ware on her Table Manners podcast that authorities were trying to 'catch him out' but there was no way for them to contact him.

So he bought a Nokia 3310 that costs less than £60.