‘So unexpected’: Ed Sheeran serenades UCL grad from canal boat whilst she was running

The singer was filming a music video when he surprised a passing jogger with a song request


Ed Sheeran has shared a video of a chance encounter by a canal where he stunned recent UCL grad Nikki Atkins with a rendition of Tenerife Sea.

The video has now garnered over 1.2 million likes on Instagram with Ed’s caption asking: “If anyone knows the runner lemme know so we can have their POV video for the lols.”

The lucky jogger was found to be Nikki, now a teacher, who commented: “THIS IS ME!!” and had posted a story saying that coming across the singer was “so unexpected and so so beautiful. Thank you Thank you.”

Talking to BBC News Nikki said: “I ran out onto the path, kind of waved at him and 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!'” 

“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!’”

Nikki also had a final message to Ed thanking him for the surprise: “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.”

Featured image via Instagram @teddysphotos

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