He might have over 185 major music awards sitting on his shelves today, but a newly resurfaced video is proving that Ed Sheeran’s dancing skills have not exactly shared that same winning trajectory.
As the global superstar celebrates his 35th birthday on February 17th, an old YouTube clip has emerged, giving fans a hilarious and deeply humbling look at his early days. Posted by an account called The Ugly Bug Ball, the footage rewinds the clock to 2007. A 16-year-old Sheeran is seen trying his absolute hardest to nail a dance routine for an audition. The target? Britannia High, an ITV musical drama that was essentially the UK’s answer to High School Musical or Fame.
The Audition That Did Not Go As Planned
Unfortunately for the future stadium-filler, his coordination left a lot to be desired. The audition went over terribly with the casting panel. In the clip, one judge can actually be heard whispering, “Not even an option,” right after watching his routine. Needless to say, his time on the program was incredibly short-lived.
Fans are having a field day with the unearthed footage. The comments section is a mix of secondhand embarrassment and deep appreciation for his journey. One viewer laughed at the sheer irony, noting that little did those judges know the awkward teenager was about to become the massive star he is today. Others simply wrote, “Ed’s dancing… I can’t,” while another jokingly questioned why Ed confidently raised his hand when the choreographers asked who in the room had prior dance experience.
He did not get the part, but he certainly got the last laugh.
Trading the Party for Parenthood
Looking back at that 16-year-old kid offers a sharp contrast to the man Sheeran is today. However, turning 35 has brought about more than just nostalgic laughs over old videos; it has sparked some serious reflection on how much his lifestyle has had to change to maintain his massive career.
Recently opening up to Men’s Health UK, Sheeran admitted that his twenties were defined by a rather unhealthy lifestyle. The real turning point? Fatherhood. He recalled a very specific night shortly after his oldest daughter, Lyra, was born. She was just two weeks old when he had his best friend over, and they shared a bottle of wine to unwind. He finally went to sleep, only for Lyra to wake up crying twenty minutes later.
That brutal, middle-of-the-night wake-up call was his lightbulb moment. He woke up and immediately realized that if he was going to be handling the difficult night shifts as a dad, he could not afford to drink and feel dreadful the next day.
Finding a New Rhythm
The desire to be a fully present, responsible father hit him all at once. He wanted to feel good, look good, and be able to pick up his child without his back giving out. That newfound mindset quickly bled into his professional life, fueling a drive to feel physically “superhuman” when stepping onto a stage.
He candidly admitted that, deep down, he is still a “pizza-eating, beer-guzzling smoker” at heart. But he recognizes that simply is not a sustainable reality for a working parent in his thirties.
Instead, he traded the late nights for running shoes. Having never run more than a single kilometer in his life, he pushed himself to complete his first 10K during the Covid lockdowns. Building up to those physical milestones just made him feel fundamentally better. At 35, Ed Sheeran might never be a professional dancer, but he has finally found his true rhythm—both under the stadium lights and at home.
