Sir Elton John told Ed Sheeran not to put weight on when he went on his hiatus.
The ‘Tiny Dancer’ hitmaker’s protege piled on the pounds, gaining almost 50lbs, during his getaway to the Far East with his girlfriend Cherry Seaborn despite the 70-year-old music legend’s advice.
However, he soon lost it in time for his album ‘Divide’ promo cycle and Elton says it is the best thing he could have done as it "refreshes the soul".
He also thinks it was a good idea for him to go away because the 26-year-old flame-haired hunk was so "omnipresent" before his break.
Speaking in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine about the ‘Galway Girl’ hitmaker’s hiatus, he said: "Yeah he was so omnipresent. I said, ‘Ed even I’m sick of you.
Go away.’ And he did. He just went to the Far East with his girlfriend, had a great time, put on a lot of weight, ate food and came back.
"One thing I said to him when he went, I said, ‘Don’t put on weight’, because he is prone to put on weight like I am.
"And he came back heavy, but he lost it all for the album.
He just went away and had a great time. And it was the most brilliant thing he could have done, because it refreshes your soul – not that I ever did it.
"I’m not one for going to the Far East and walking around with a backpack on; I just find that not my cup of tea.
"I’m too much involved with other things. But he did it, and it’s the best thing he could have done. He was too omnipresent. Taylor Swift’s done the same thing. I mean, all she’s got now is the single with Zayn Malik for the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ soundtrack. You haven’t really heard much of her since ‘1989’, except when she broke up with Tom Hiddleston, that’s about it."
Elton John told Ed Sheeran to watch his weight
