Ed Sheeran says he wrote 'Shape of You' for THIS reason

Ed Sheeran paid an emotional tribute to Steve Mac.

The Photograph hitmaker talked about the inspiration behind his iconic track Shape of You.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, July 11, 2025, Sheeran shared a video clip from his performance alongside rock band Westlife.

The video was from Sheeran’s performance at the Portman Road stadium as part of his ongoing homecoming concerts.

In the video, the singer welcomed the members of the band to sing some of their famous tracks together.

In the caption, Sheeran wrote, “The reason I wrote Shape of You was that I wanted to go in the studio with one of the men that was behind Flying Without Wings - @rokstoneprod.”

He went on to add, “One of my favourite songs of all time. I used to pretend I was in @westlife when I was like 9. But tonight I got to actually be a member, playing with Steve and @beogamusic on stage for the homecoming shows at @ipswichtown .”

“Just pure magic. Thank you for flying over lads, will never forget that moment,” Ed Sheeran concluded.