Being a famous musician is much harder work than most people realise. Oh sure, you get paid millions to perform to audiences of adoring fans, you'll be able to date beautiful people, attend glamorous award shows, and see your face on the cover of a magazine.

But then there's the other side: the long hours spent in the recording studio getting every detail in your new LP just right, the worry about what critics will make of your latest album, and the stress that inevitably comes with being on tour for long stretches of time.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B1onkAxBL4Z/]]

One person who appears to know all too well the value of taking a break from the exhausting industry is British musician Ed Sheeran, who this week stunned his fans by announcing at a performance that he intends to take an 18-month-long hiatus from music.

According to the Evening Standard, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter dropped the bombshell following his fourth and final homecoming show at Chantry Park in Ipswich on Monday.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B1nyYdPhJm0/]]

Sheeran stated: "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 ... 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."

He added: "It is the biggest tour ever. 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 you’ve been with for years. It sounds off but it has been a long tour."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B1RlnJDhnlL/]]

Sheeran later took to Instagram to post a picture of the crowd at his last performance and captioned the pic: "Can we just take a minute to remind ourselves that today is the last day of the divide era. am I crying? YES F*CKING YES. [sic]"

Indeed, it could be that Sheeran, who recently tied the knot with his childhood sweetheart Cherry Seaborn in a top-secret ceremony before Christmas, wants to spend more time with his wife. The private nuptials were held at a church close to Cherry's parents' home in Suffolk and a reception at the local village pub.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B1iiSqLB2kg/]]

Another source close to the singer allegedly told The Sun that: "It was very quiet – just Ed’s oldest school pals, limited family and the priest. There were only 40 people – so no Taylor Swift, record company executives or any royals or pop star pals. He wanted no fuss and he wanted it to be something entirely for them – just a tiny winter wedding."

Ed, enjoy your time off: you deserve it!

Justin Bieber has had enough.

In a raw and candid video shared with his 293 million Instagram followers, the 31-year-old pop star turned the lens on the paparazzi who swarmed him and wife Hailey Bieber the moment they stepped outside a building in Los Angeles.

The video, filmed by Bieber himself, captures the intensity of life under the spotlight — camera flashes, invasive questioning, and an unsettling proximity that leaves no space for privacy. Watch the uncomfortable video below:

“Look at these guys, man!” Bieber can be heard saying off-camera as photographers flood the scene. One member of his security detail attempts to shield the couple while ushering them toward a car.

“You done? Go ahead, go… What are you waiting for?” the security guard asks a photographer who refuses to budge, replying: “I'm just standing here.”

Bieber captioned the clip with a firm message: “This has to stop.”

The footage quickly lit up social media, prompting a wave of support from fans — and a deeply personal follow-up from Bieber himself. In an Instagram Story, he revealed the pressure he’s under, both publicly and privately.

“Everyone telling me to move from LA,” Bieber wrote. “U think I’m gonna get bullied to leave where my influence is most needed? How can we make a change if we run away from the darkness?”

The singer, who first found global fame as a teenager, admitted: “I too have been caught up in the transactional nature of Hollywood. It’s embarrassing but with that said... I want nothing to do with that as a grown adult with a wife and son.”

He continued: “I just want to be submerged in the culture learning from any and everyone. And be a proponent and advocate for love and equality.”

In another post, Bieber opened up about the emotional toll of constant harassment, writing: “I’m currently asking [God] to help me with patience because it can be really hard to not rip these f***in guys heads off.”

“Through the chaos somehow God always brings me back to himself,” he added. “Today I’m forgiving myself for my own selfishness, AND forgiving THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE AND ABUSE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CAPITaLIze off of me, or Their jealousy makes them want to make me feel small like how they feel [sic].”

His admission came with a heavy dose of introspection: “I’m no victim. I moved to LA KNOWING ITS F***ED OUT HERE.”

The footage arrives amid ongoing speculation about the state of Bieber’s mental health and his marriage to Hailey, 28.

After several Coachella appearances and candid Instagram posts, fans expressed concern. Some cited an incident where Bieber was spotted smoking marijuana near his younger siblings at the festival. But those close to the couple insist they’re staying strong.

“Hailey is not on the verge of wanting a divorce or leaving him. It's just completely untrue,” a source told PEOPLE. “If anything she's sad about how hard everyone is being on him now that he finally is coming back out of his shell.”

However, another insider painted a different picture, claiming Hailey has been “in tears” over Bieber’s recent behavior. “She’s genuinely scared something bad is going to happen to Justin,” they said, adding that her focus is on raising their son, Jack Blues Bieber, born in August 2024, in a “stable environment.”

“She’s not walking away, but she knows something has to change,” the source added. “She’s drawn a line around what she’s willing to tolerate. She means the world to Justin. They have quietly weathered more than most couples ever do.”

Bieber himself addressed the speculation with brutal honesty in an Instagram Story: “They treat me like ass out here, but I remember that I am flawed and God forgave me.”

“It helps me to stop feeling better than those who are mean and hurtful because when I'm really honest, I can be mean and hurtful too,” he said. Reflecting on his marriage, he added: “Honestly if I was u, it would be hard not to be jealous of me and Hailey going brazzzzyy. It's really up for us and that's understandable why people can't stand it.”

“I don't blame 'em,” he concluded. “We are the Jones's that are impossible to keep up with.”

Hailey backed up her husband with her own public show of support, giving Justin a heartfelt thank-you while accepting the Innovator Award at the Daily Front Row’s Fashion Awards: “I want to thank my husband for supporting the dream of mine from the beginning and for always cheering me on.”

Let's hope these two find the happiness - and privacy - they deserve.

Featured image credit: DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin / Getty

Sometimes I sit and wonder what it would be like to be famous. Would I actually enjoy it? Sure. The money, the cars, the holidays, the clothes and all of that stuff would be cool. But, on the other hand, I hate attention and the idea of not being able to go to McDonald's and dribble Big Mac Sauce down my chin without the world's press on my back fills me with dread.

From the outside looking in, being a celebrity looks like easy work. I mean, seriously, just look at their social media channels. One flick through an A-lister's Instagram and it appears that they spend half their time on vacation and the other half getting drunk at a club or eating some delicious food. However, for all the lavishness and excess, many celebrities have spoken about their desire to be normal.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BiQl1OzFoTe/?hl=en&taken-by=kyliejenner]]

Take Kylie Jenner, for example. During an interview with her half-sister Kim, Kylie admits that she sometimes thinks about being not famous: "I don’t wish I’d changed my family, because I love my family. I do think about if I didn’t have to be famous. And it’s like a fantasy sometimes, but there’s really not one problem I have. You figure out how to deal with it."

Looking at this, it would seem that the best medium in the debate of whether to be famous or not, would be to not be famous but to look like a famous person. Sounds dumb, right? But hear me out. If you look like a famous person, you will more than likely become some form of influencer. If you become an influencer, you will get a load of free stuff (and who doesn't love free stuff.) And, on top of all of that, you won't have to deal with all the weirdos that would otherwise follow your every move.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BhW_eOFg4ZS/?taken-by=erin_budina]]

Now, it's often noted that everyone in the entire population of earth has a doppelganger. It can be hard to believe, right? Someone else is unlucky enough to look like you? However, for some people, they strike lucky and look like a celebrity. Whether it's the bodybuilder who looks like J-lo, the girl who looks more like Lady Gaga than Lady Gaga herself, or the girl who makes serious cash due to her resemblance to Kim Kardashian - there are plenty of lookalikes out there.

However, for one girl, she not only looks like one celebrity, but two. Don't believe me? Take a look at the below.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/samrennee/status/1010744043792412672]]

The picture is actually of 18-year-old Samantha Rodriguez at Houston Pride and has gone viral due to her uncanny resemblance to both of the singers. Who knows, maybe Demi and Ari had a kid that no one knew about?

Twitter, understandably went into meltdown at the image, with the fans of each singer losing their collective minds at Rodriguez's resemblance to their idols.

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/swinegoddess/status/1010959691382484994]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/vividrem/status/1010986789501194241]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/xoShemar/status/1010966199210004481]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Kellienicoley2/status/1010924603106037765]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/Teamsuper_Zimba/status/1010989857349472256]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/breathingmnds/status/1011009350222204929]]

Some people have won the genetic lottery, haven't they?