Ed Sheeran has revealed he has been quietly battling a secret illness.

On Tuesday (April 28), the Grammy winner took to Instagram to announce to his followers that he had spent the last month dealing with shingles, a viral infection that causes a painful rash and nerve damage.

"I've had shingles for the last month, wouldn't recommend it, but on the mend now," Sheeran wrote.

The 35-year-old 'Shape of You' singer also debuted a shaved head in the post, saying the dramatic change marked a new chapter.

"Yes, I’ve shaved my hair. I wanted to shave it to signify a fresh start. A lot of new beginnings in my life atm. I Iove it, thinking of keeping it this way," he penned.

Sheeran opens up about health struggle

According to the Mayo Clinic, shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox.

The virus "stays in your body for the rest of your life. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles," the outlet said.

While the infection is not usually life-threatening, it can be extremely painful and is more common in people over 50.

Despite the setback, Sheeran said he is recovering and preparing to get back on the road.

"Restarting the loop tour in a week and a bit, can't wait to get back cracking on that, see you lovely people there," he wrote.

His next show is set for Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, marking the start of the Latin America leg of the Loop Tour, with dates across Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Mexico, and Chile, per PEOPLE.

Ed Sheeran was battling a secret illness. Credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty

A 'Fresh Start' On and Off Stage

Sheeran’s Instagram post was also filled with snapshots from his recent downtime, including photos of him playing guitar, listening to records, and a screenshot showing he had finally caught up with the final season of Stranger Things.

He also recommended Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, calling the novel "brilliant," and shared that he has developed a new interest in collecting vinyl during the touring break.

Ed Sheeran shaved his head. Credit: Instagram

The update comes months after Sheeran released his latest album, Play, and weeks after he shared another personal health update involving his wife, Cherry Seaborn.

Speaking on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast last month, he revealed she is recovering well after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.

"She's fine, she had the operation," he said. "She was pregnant at the time. That's why it was difficult. She had the operation to remove the tumor after the birth of our second child. And thankfully - touch wood - totally fine."

The couple shares two daughters, Lyra, five, and Jupiter, three.

Featured image credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty

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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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!

Singer and songwriter, Ed Sheeran, has spoken out about how his "very addictive personality" let him to binge on food and alcohol during the early days of his career.

Speaking candidly on an online summit on anxiety and wellbeing, as reported by the BBC, the Shape of You artist disclosed that he had suffered FROM panic attacks and dealt with low self-esteem after his ascent to superstardom.

I felt, 'What was the point?' In a dark way, like, 'Why am I around? What is the point?'" he said when discussing a particularly rough patch during his world tour in 2014 - 2015.

He then went onto credit his wife, Cherry, for helping him adopt a more healthy lifestyle. He continued: "She exercises a lot, so I started going on runs with her. She eats quite healthily so I started eating quite healthily. She doesn't drink that much so I wasn't drinking. I think that all changed things.

Watch the interview below: 

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In the interview, which was conducted by documentary maker, James Sebastiano Jr., Sheeran also touched on his very lowest point when he was on a 180-date world tour to promote his 2014 album, X.

"I would stay up and drink all night and then sleep on the bus," he said. "The buses would park underneath the arenas and I'd sleep on the bus all day and then wake up and then come out, do the show, drink get back on the bus and I didn't see sunlight for maybe four months.

"It's all fun and games at the start. it's all rock and roll, and then like it starts getting sad. That was probably like the lowest that I've been and I kind of ballooned in weight.

"I'm covered in in tattoos and I don't do things by half," the star admitted, "so if I'm gonna drink... I see no point in having a glass of wine. I'd rather have two bottles.

"Having a glass of wine is having something in moderation and probably isn't going to affect your day the next day. But two bottles of wine probably might make you quite sad."

Speaking about his binge-eating, Sheeran added: "They used to call me two-dinner Teddy because I used to order two meals and eat that,," he said. "Then you start putting on loads of weight and hating the way you look. I think things like sugar, sweet stuff, junk food, cocaine, alcohol, it feels good the more you do, but it's the worst thing for you."

Ed Sheeran has tearfully spoken out about his wife's frightening health scare in his forthcoming Disney+ docuseries.

The 32-year-old 'Shape of You' hitmaker will be showing his journey to stardom in a four-part series titled: The Sum Of It All, which will air on the streaming service on May 3.

The trailer starts with Sheeran showing snapshots of his childhood, with him saying: "Ginger hair, really short, He stutters. That guy doesn't grow up to be a pop star. It's so unlikely."

Footage of the 'Perfect' singer as an adolescent is interwoven with videos of him on stage during his sold-out arena tours to show viewers how he became one of music's biggest stars.

Sheeran's 30-year-old wife - who is the mother to his children Lyra Antarctica, two, and Jupiter, 10 months - is also seen in the docuseries as the musician reflects on his relationship.

The pair are seen going on dates together, with Sheeran saying: "Everything in my life got so much better when Cherry came into it. I got married, I became a dad who has two daughters."

The trailer also shows him talking about his friendship with the late Jamal Edwards, who gave him his first big break in the music industry.

As previously reported, the 31-year-old YouTube star and music producer tragically died after a cardiac arrest brought on by cocaine and alcohol in February 2022.

In addition to this, the series also delves into Cherry's health issues and the toll it took on the couple. The 'Photograph' singer is seen breaking down in tears as the death of his friend compounded by his wife's health scare becomes overwhelming.

A clip is shown of him crying on stage as well, with Cherry saying: "I've never seen him cry on stage," adding: "He hasn't had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts."

The trailer then ends with more joyful videos of Sheeran celebrating his birthday, singing on stage, and laughing with his friends as he says "life can be unpredictable".

At the beginning of the month, the 'Castle on the Hill' singer announced his fifth studio album "-" (Subtract) and revealed in a lengthy statement on Instagram that the record was inspired by a series of events that "changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art" last year.

Those devastating events included Cherry being diagnosed with a tumor while pregnant with their second child and the death of his best friend Jamal.

"I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air," he penned, adding that this motivated him to put out a project that depicted what he was experiencing.

"It's opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time, I'm not trying to craft an album people will like, I'm merely putting something out that's honest and true to where I am in my adult life," he said.

Sheeran's forthcoming album - Subtract - is set to be released on May 5 and his docuseries, The Sum Of It All, will premiere on Disney+ on May 3.

Featured image credit: Storms Media Group / Alamy