Ed Sheeran sensationally serenades Exmouth woman as she runs along canal

Ed Sheeran sings to Nikki Atkins as the Exmouth teacher goes for a run
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


A Devon woman was the lucky runner who was stopped and serenaded by pop superstar Ed Sheeran. The video, which has been shared thousands of times has been branded 'the best video on the internet'.

The now viral video of the singer cruising along a canal in London was posted to his social media. The video, which has been played 32,000,000 times on Instagram alone since it was posted, features a woman from Exmouth.

The lucky runner was a teacher from Devon, Nikki Atkins. The Mirror reports that she only happened to be near the canal that morning after she decided to go on a run for the first time in months.

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Ed Sheeran posted the video asking for the runner to come forward so they could get their point of view of the interaction. He said: "Was filming a video on the canal today, played a request. If anyone knows the runner lemme know so we can have their POV video for the lols".

After coming forward, Nikki spoke to the BBC about her experience with the superstar. Nikki admitted the experience was 'so random' and 'surreal', adding it wasn't what she was expecting on her run.

At first, Nikki said she heard music before seeing a 'ginger man' who 'looked like Ed Sheeran' on a boat before realising it was in fact the superstar.

She said: "Inside I was in complete turmoil and in my head, the time it took me to ask for a song was a really long time, I am so shocked that it was that rapid when I saw his video. I literally ran out onto the path, sort of waved at him, then he asked me for a song request.

"In my head, I was thinking: 'Oh my God, I need to think of a song now, it needs to not be a rubbish or basic one - not that he has any rubbish songs obviously!'"

She revealed she picked the 2014 song Tenerife Sea as she had been to see the singer when she was younger and it was one of her favourite tunes.

BBC host Jon Kay then said it was amazing that she was able to get her phone out so quickly to record the moment, a move which has divided fellow fans on Instagram. Nikki said: "I know, I feel like it almost looked like I planned that and I was ready for it. But genuinely in my head, I was thinking: 'Oh my God, he's actually singing to me, I'm not going to remember this if I don't film it! I'm going to black out and not know what's going on!'

"In that video, it looks so rapid that I pulled my phone out but I was just like: 'Oh my God, Ed Sheeran singing to me, I need to record this!'" Elsewhere, Nikki admitted she felt 'silly' continuing her jog after the serenading, wishing she had said more and she issued a sweet message to Ed on BBC Breakfast.

The teacher said: "Thank you so much again, that was incredibly special. So beautiful and just really made my day, he was so lovely as well, so chill and nice, I felt so silly when I was running away at the end as everyone on the boat was watching me but they were all so lovely. Thank you so much." Nikki admitted her friends and family didn't believe the moment was real at first, adding she's thinking of setting up a new Instagram following her overnight fame.

Also sharing the video to social media, the River Exe Cafe reposted it. It said: "Our lovely Nikki from our front of house team got a big surprise on her canal run".

Commenting on the River Exe Cafe's video, one of Nikki's parents, Chris, said: "the BBC got that wrong, and she corrected it during the interview. Nicola, our daughter, has just started a Postgraduate Certificate in Secondary Education (PGSE) in mathematics in London."