Ed Sheeran may be one of the world’s biggest music stars, but when it comes to choosing hits, there’s only one critic he truly fears — his wife, Cherry Seaborn.
In a recent appearance on the Not Gonna Lie podcast with Kylie Kelce, the 34-year-old singer-songwriter admitted he waits until Cherry is in a “good mood” before sharing his new music because her reaction can make or break a track.
“Cherry can kill a song. She can,” Ed confessed. “I’m actually really careful to play her songs when she’s in a good mood. Because if she’s like, ‘Eh,’ then in my mind, I’m like, ‘Okay. That song’s dead.’”
Ed, who shares two daughters — Lyra, 4, and Jupiter, 2 — with Cherry, explained that her taste and instincts are so sharp that he trusts her completely. Writing up to 15 songs a week, he often plays them for her first to get her thoughts.
He shared a moment when Cherry helped him spot a hit: “I came home, I listened to them all in the car, and I was kind of excited about most of them. And I played them to her, and she was like, ‘That one, that Bad Habits one, that’s the one you should finish tomorrow.’ She’s got a very good read on stuff.”
Even their daughters seem to have inherited Cherry’s ear for music. Ed said they naturally gravitate toward his most popular songs — the ones that also click with his younger fans — when Cherry plays them while he’s away on tour.
Beyond music, Ed credits Cherry as the “grounding force” in his life. On Call Her Daddy, he shared that she keeps him rooted, especially when fame threatens to sweep things into “Hollywood” territory.
“She’s like, ‘Bro…’” Ed laughed, recalling how she once stopped him from building a bowling alley in their garden. “She just doesn’t want our kids growing up and it being like, you know, the Richie Rich house.”
From hitmaker to husband and dad, it’s clear Sheeran’s biggest inspiration — and toughest audience — is right at home.
