Londoner's Diary: Is Ed Sheeran heading west with the Beckhams?

A big night at the Brits for Ed Sheeran, the singer-songwriter who walked away with a Global Success Award. But despite his international reach, the Shape of You strummer seems to have his heart firmly in the UK: we hear he has bought a property in west London.

Holland Park locals tell The Londoner that Sheeran is about to join them in the leafy area after purchasing a multi-million-pound house. He will join David and Victoria Beckham, Elton John and Robbie Williams as a local, and many of his future neighbours are excited to have attracted yet another celebrity.

But other residents, we’re told, are concerned about his reputation for raucous parties. One incident in 2016, for example, saw Sheeran cut his face on a sword after some drunken high jinks involving James Blunt and Princess Beatrice.

Sheeran, who counts singers Taylor Swift and Ellie Goulding among his friends, may wish to take a leaf out of the Beckhams’ book by sending a note round before any party antics. The couple undertook £8 million worth of renovations when they moved in, which meant the street was filled with dirt and noise for three years.

Many of the neighbours penned angry letters, complaining of the constant noise and opposing their plans to build a gym, a wine cellar and indoor cinema in their £31.5 million home. But the Beckhams won them over in the end with a polite note of apology.

Sheeran also has a separate property up in Suffolk, which contains an underground pub, a cinema and a music room, so he may hope to put his own stamp on this new pad.

Surely a free gig for the neighbours would be just the ticket?

Zac helps out with an inspiring polar trek

LONDONER Tasleem Mulhall is bidding to become the first Yemeni woman to make it to the South Pole. But the 500-mile trek will not come cheap. Thankfully her local MP, Zac Goldsmith, is helping. He is compering a Mayfair auction tonight offering prizes including tea for four in Westminster with himself, to raise money for Mulhall.

Her trek isn’t just about personal discovery: Mulhall is also raising money for girls forced into early marriages. “I want to show oppressed women all over the world what they are capable of,” she says. That’s an icy resolve.

Quote of the day

‘Don’t worry, that was a controlled blaze. Apparently Olly Murs has been tweeting in the toilet, telling everyone to evacuate’

Singer Olly Murs was mocked last night after a Brits set involving fire. Murs caused panic last year when he tweeted about a non-existent shooting.

Brit awards stars come out to play

The Londoner partied with Mastercard at the Brits but the night truly began once the after parties started. Starting at Freemasons Hall’s Warner Music, GQ, and Ciroc party, we sipped cocktails and rubbed shoulders with Idris Elba, who raised the roof in a DJ set with Pete Tong.

With Brit Awards show stealer Dua Lipa among the guests, the Londoner also spotted Holly Willoughby, and Hollywood heavyweights Andy Serkis and Beauty and the Beast actor Luke Evans, who enthused about his time at the awards by declaring that the show had been ‘amazing’ - before confessing that he hadn’t seen Kendrick Lamar bring the house down by smashing up his Lamborghini due to ‘being backstage’.

Then it was onto The Ned, where Soho House and Universal hosted a bash with help from Bacardi. We bumped into designer Henry Holland, who was in a bit of a rush. “I’ve only been here for four minutes. I was waiting for my suit to be made and it only arrived three minutes before I left the house,” he said. “It was straight from the catwalk.” Oh, the glamour.

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He’s a lord of the land, works at a top paper and has the ear of government ministers but Daniel Finkelstein still gets a ticking off from his old teachers. The Times columnist tweets: “Disconcertingly, my English teacher from school (who once said I was ‘not a natural-born essay writer’) has taken to posting in the comments each week under my column.” This week’s column met approval, but last week’s, he says, ‘was very definitely ‘See Me’.” Don’t give up, Danny.

Greece was not for fatties

WHAT have the Ancient Greeks ever done for us? Well, depending on who you believe, they’re both the inventors of liberal democracy and the originators of our obsession with our bodies.

“The Greeks were not as preoccupied with size zero as we are,” says Mary Beard the classicist and new Front Row host, “but I think what we can trace back at least to Ancient Greece is the idea that there is a right way to look and a wrong way. Although we think of Ancient Greece quite rightly in some respects as a wonderful, free democratic place, it had a rigid view about excluding those people whose body forms didn’t fit — woe betide the elderly or the fat or the flabby.” Evidently those Greeks must have had very Spartan diets.

Beard, who was criticised last week for comments she made about the Oxfam scandal, was speaking on the latest episode of Headspace, Prospect magazine’s podcast.

Tweet of the Day

Former Lib-Dem adviser Sean Kemp thinks Corbyn is playing a long game.

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Unlikely headliner of the day: Rod Liddle, better known as a controversialist columnist, is top of the bill for an In Conversation at the 2,200-capacity Palladium. Stranger things have happened.

Whitehall mum’s partner in grime

JACK Whitehall’s mum Hilary stole the spotlight at last night’s Brit awards by nabbing a selfie with Stormzy. Whitehall said his mother would not take no for an answer, forcing her way over and demanding a photograph. He does seem pretty chuffed about it.