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Ed Sheeran had another "emotional" moment on stage as he performed a "dream" duet with a fellow English musician.
The "Shape of You" singer hit the stage at Portman Road Stadium in the U.K. on Sunday (July 13) and surprised the crowd when he brought out James Blunt for a duet of the latter's 2004 hit ballad "Goodbye My Lover," per People.
"I rarely get nervous at gigs, I do this so often," he told the audience as he introduced Blunt. "I'm very nervous to sing this because I've never sung this with him and this really is a dream come true."
Following the duet, Sheeran noted he was "quite emotional" after the performance, adding that it "is [in his] top three favorite moments on stage ever." His emotions were still running high as he reflected on the moment in a lengthy post on Instagram, sharing a video from the night as he gushed over the full circle moment.
"I saw [Blunt] when I was 13 years opening for [Elton John] at Portman Road," he wrote. "I bought his album that day, then got obsessed. My dad took me to Cambridge junction to see him months after, and he became my favorite singer songwriter. His songs moulded me, his performing inspired me. I wanted to be him."
Sheeran joked that he "wanted to be him so much" that he not only signed to the same management as Blunt but the same record label.
"I sometimes have to remind myself how much he means and meant to me, because we've been mates for well over a decade now. I'm godfather to his son. He's one of my close mates. But I sometimes forget that I was a 13 year old boy who got obsessed with a singer songwriter called James Blunt," he said. "I covered his songs at the school talent show. I went to numerous gigs. I am a fan. But I'm now also a friend, which is super weird actually when I think about it."
The "Azizam" musician noted that he wanted to get Blunt to that same venue to perform "one of my favorite songs of his" because "he, and the song, mean so much to me," and even though Blunt had just wrapped up his own tour days before, he was more than willing to accept the request.
"And it meant the world," he concluded, adding, "Don't meet your hero's, unless your hero's are James Blunt. Love you mate xx."
Sheeran also brought out another surprise guest during a recent concert, even enlisting the help of his childhood band as he lived out of his favorite moments "ever" on stage.
Ed Sheeran will be taking over the stage at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One on September 19 and 20 in Las Vegas. Fans can tune in to the music mega even all weekend as it will be broadcast live each night via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. Hulu will be the Official Streaming Destination of the festival, with performances livestreamed each night exclusively to all Hulu subscribers.