Travel
Ed Sheeran recalls Benny Blanco forcing him to travel to UK by boat for 10 days because producer is ‘scared of flying’
Ed Sheeran recalled going on an emotionally-charged 10-day cruise across the Atlantic Ocean from the US to the UK with Benny Blanco because the music producer claimed he’s “scared of flying.”
The “Shivers” singer recounted the comical story on Saturday as part of the “Like a Prayer” trend on TikTok, which encourages people to share their dramatic — and often traumatic — stories from their past.
Sheeran, 33, implied in the post he was not excited to embark on the journey with Blanco, 36, as he emphasized he had to sit on a boat for “10 whole days” of his life.
However, the “Castle on the Hill” crooner said the trip went well — for the most part — as he and Blanco were working on his successful 2017 album, “Divide.”
Things took an unexpected turn, though, he recalled, when they heard an announcement on the ship informing passengers that they were passing over the precise location where the Titanic sank.
“We’re doing WHAT???!!?” Sheeran remembered thinking. “Tourists head to the side of the boat, taking pictures of the water.”
“Benny and I locked eyes,” the singer humorously continued. “‘Wanna go watch it?’ he says.”
The pair went on to watch the iconic 1997 film — and Sheeran claimed his pal held him the entire time.
“I can’t help thinking, was this his plan all along?” the “Perfect” singer joked in his video. “Is he going to paint me like one of his French girls? Will he swing me round to some Irish bangers?”
“We could both fit on that wooden door…right?” he wondered.
Sheeran shared that he was pleased that he “made it through the night” dry and “only slightly cold.”
The four-time Grammy winner added, “A good portion of ‘Divide’ was written when I was in genuine fear of becoming [the frozen dessert] Calippo.”
Ending his head-turning story, Sheeran asked fans if they wanted to hear the plot twist.
Sharing the answer, he concluded, “Benny got on a flight a month later.”
Page Six reached out to reps for both stars for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Blanco has been open about his fear of flying before — and even mentioned the memorable boat ride he took with Sheeran while celebrating the success of “Divide.”
“5 years ago today my life changed forever…. divide meant so much more than an album that had hits and won a bunch of awards,” the “Eastside” hitmaker began in a lengthy March 2022 Instagram caption alongside several photos taken during the making of the project.
“i love u and i still can’t believe we wrote half of this on a boat to England from the us cuz i was scared to fly,” he added near the conclusion of the post.
Blanco, who got engaged to Selena Gomez this week, also spoke about his dislike of flying while on the “Wild Ride! with Steve-O” podcast in June 2023.
“I’m not scared of anything except flying,” he told the “Jackass” star, 50.
Blanco also confirmed he “takes an actual boat” when he needs to travel to Europe. He compared the cruise ships he rides to being “on the actual Titanic.”
“The boat is like, it’s you and old people,” he added.
The “Lonely” producer further explained his phobia by sharing that several seedy experiences on a plane left him “spooked,” which is why he tries to avoid flying when he can.