Ed Sheeran could be “roaring” with laughter after revealing that his latest tattoo was a hoax — or was it?
The British singer showed off a tat-free Instagram photo on Wednesday, contradicting the post from Aug. 11 in which he displayed a colorful and elaborate lion’s head inked across his chest that he had said was only “halfway” complete.
“Was only joking about the lion,” the pop star captioned his newest snap, a bare-chested shot similar to his pose in the original pic.
PHOTOS: Hollywood Redheads: Natural & Not
However, just hours later Ed shared another photo with the lion’s mane peeking out from a thick layer of makeup.
“Only joking covered it up for a TV show didn’t I” he wrote alongside the new image. While he didn’t specify the gig, Ed is set to appear on FX’s new drama “The Bastard Executioner” this fall.
PHOTOS: Ed Sheeran: Pop Music’s Favorite Ginger!
All of the singer’s jokes aside, Ed is clearly proud of the artwork. After its Instagram debut he also Tweeted a shout-out to celebrity tattoo artist Kevin Paul, writing, “Lion is courtesy of @kp_est78 who puts up with me complaining about the pain.”
Lion is courtesy of @kp_est78, who puts up with me complaining about the pain
— Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) August 11, 2015
Kevin himself went on the record to discuss the tat, telling E! News that the lion image was a work in progress.
“The piece as it stands took about six hours to do but there is still about six hours left to complete the tattoo,” the artist said at the time.
In a BBC interview from July, Ed also explained that his inspiration behind the planned artwork was his love for England’s football team, whose mascot is – of course – a lion.
WATCH: Ed Sheeran Talks Musical Influences, Writing Songs & The Pitfalls Of Signing With A Label
“Originally I was going to get the [Wembley Stadium] floor plan tattooed on my side, but that seemed a bit ridiculous,” Ed told the outlet.
Prank or not, the crooner has a sense of humor about his other tats, too. Ed also sports confirmed ink of both a teddy bear and Puss in Boots from the “Shrek” franchise.
— Erin Biglow
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.