Ed Sheeran's tattoo artist clarifies comments about the singer's ink: 'I don’t regret anything I've done with him'

Ed Sheeran’s tattoo artist has responded to a recent tabloid report that claimed he thinks the singer’s ink is so “s**t” it’s losing him business.

Clarifying his comments on Instagram, Derbyshire-based artist Kevin Paul wrote that the article was “50% not true, 40% stretched truths at a push and 10% slight truth,” as he admitted that while he thinks that Sheeran’s tattoos “could of been much better”, he “doesn’t regret anything” he’s worked with him on.

”Ed’s tattoos are things that mean something to him in a style he likes,” the 41-year-old responsible for around 40 of Sheeran’s pieces explained. “I love Ed to bits and he will always be close to me and my kids.

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“I don’t regret anything I have done with him but yes, his tattoos could of been much better but it’s what he wanted done how he wanted them.

“Plus I dint do all of them he lets his mangers [sic] mate do most of the s****y little bits all out together and I don’t think he has been tattoo for long .but he likes them so that’s all that matters [sic].”

In the report, published by the Mirror on 2 October - Paul described inking Sheeran as both the “best and worst” aspect of his career and that the Shape of You hitmaker’s tattoos “aren’t very good.” He also confessed to teasing him about how “s**t” they are.

"But every single thing that he's got is personal to him,” he continued. “Him and Harry Styles had Pingu tattooed on them and they had it done because that was the cartoon they liked as a child."

Paul - who has worked with people like Hollyoaks actor Gary Lucy and Ellie Goulding to Paddy Considine, Lady Gaga and Rihanna - went on to say that since he’s started tattooing Sheeran and other celebs, his clientele has evolved dramatically.

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"It definitely changed things, I was a big massive artist doing 3D-work and winning multi awards. Then all of a sudden you end up doing Pingu the Penguin and f****** gingerbread men on popstars,” he said. “And all that client base just dies off but the doorways it has opened for me are much bigger."

Yahoo News UK has reached out to Paul for further comment.