Ed Sheeran makes a splash: pop star dives into fresh controversy with 'wildlife pond' cannonball

Virgin Radio

23 Aug 2024, 13:30

Singer Ed Sheeran ruffles feathers with neighbours again as he takes a leap—literally—into his so-called 'wildlife pond' at his Suffolk estate, sparking renewed tensions over his luxurious backyard oasis.

Ed Sheeran, the chart-topping ginger with a knack for heartwarming ballads, has found himself at the centre of a neighbourhood drama that’s anything but Perfect.

The latest buzz? A cheeky Instagram video showing the pop star bombing into his infamous "wildlife pond" at his sprawling Suffolk estate, leaving his neighbours feeling more than a little ruffled.

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It all started a few years back when Ed decided to add a kidney-shaped pond to his ever-growing mansion complex, affectionately known as Sheeranville.

The pond, he claimed, was to support nature conservation—nothing fishy there, right? But when planning documents were submitted, some eagle-eyed locals were quick to suspect that the "wildlife pond" was just a posh way of saying swimming pool.

Indeed, the council gave the green light for the pond, but only on the strict condition that it would be used for wildlife, not for a splashy good time.

But when jetty installations, steps, and a handrail appeared as if by magic, eyebrows were raised higher than Ed's falsetto notes in Shape of You.

In 2019, the council swooped in to re-inspect the aquatic addition, but to the dismay of some neighbours, they found no breaches of the planning terms.

Despite the council’s ruling, the row over the pond didn’t just evaporate.

Ed managed to successfully appeal against the ban on swimming and other leisure activities, arguing that the restrictions were a bit over the top. And for a while, things seemed to have calmed down—until now.

In a video shared on Instagram, Ed treated his followers to "a day in the life" at Sheeranville, which included a cheeky clip of him running, sauna-fresh, and launching himself into the pond with a splash that probably sent any wildlife scattering for cover.

Accompanying the footage was a voiceover from record producer Benny Blanco, who joyfully exclaimed: "Wee, now I'm in the water, ah yeah, life's so fun!"—a sentiment that has clearly not been shared by some of the locals.

One less-than-impressed neighbour, speaking to MailOnline, said they were: "not particularly happy about what is going on," adding that the singer seemed to be "taking the mick" with his antics.

The anonymous neighbour grumbled: "It's completely ruined our outlook and everything. We are no longer happy here and we feel like we have lost a lot. He might be Mr Nice Guy to everyone else, but he just does what he likes."

Ouch. Not exactly the warm reception you’d expect for the man who penned "Thinking Out Loud."

Ed, however, seems unbothered by the criticism. In 2021, he addressed the ongoing saga during an interview with Hits Radio, brushing off the controversy with a simple, "people need to mind their own business."

He pointed out that he’s planted 14,000 trees around his estate and allowed a meadow to grow wild, which, according to him, has boosted the local wildlife population.

So, if anything, Ed might argue that his cannonballing ways are a mere drop in the pond of his overall environmental efforts.

For now, the Sheeran family, including wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters, continues to enjoy life in their multimillion-pound countryside retreat.

But it seems the peaceful image of Sheeranville isn’t quite as tranquil as it might appear on Instagram.