It’s a question a lot of us have to ask, when it comes to selecting Christmas gifts for others – what do you get that they can’t already get themselves? People in the entertainment industry are no different, but it would appear Ed Sheeran has hit the nail on the head this year when it came to choosing a present for his good friends John and Edward Grimes, aka Jedward.
Ed, who chose the Irish duo to be among the first to hear the news of the birth of his and wife Cherry Seaborn’s daughter, Lyra Antarctica, has been firm friends with John and Edward since about 2013, and they all make a point of meeting up when they’re in the same town. So given the length and strength of their friendship, he knew he had exactly the thing to tick all the boxes when he gave the twins an original painting for Christmas.
With both his parents artists, it’s no wonder that Ed would also know his way around a paintbrush, and one of his original artworks recently sold for £40,000 at the ‘Ed Sheeran: Made In Suffolk Legacy Auction’, to raise money to support children and young adults across Suffolk. Sheeran got into painting when the long tour for his album, ‘Divide’ came to an end.
The painting presented to John and Edward, while not the exact artwork for Ed’s new single, ‘Afterglow’, is certainly from the same series, and in Ed’s handwriting it says on the back, ‘FOR JEDWARD ONE DAY IN MAY 2020’
Writing on Instagram, John and Edward said,
“Best Gift Ever! An Ed Sheeran original AfterGlow painting. The colour and energy it’s going to inspire us everyday, it radiates incredible passion and creative vibes. Love you Ed, Cherry and Baby Lyra Antarctica Happy Christmas @teddysphotos”
Of course, saying thanks on social media isn’t nearly enough for such a gift as that, and so John and Edward recorded an acoustic cover of Ed’s recent single, ‘Afterglow’, serving as a present for both Ed AND their fans. It was an additional treat to hear Edward joining John on the song, their sibling harmonies blending together perfectly. Listen below.
The Ed Sheeran song Afterglow and The Original Artwork mean everything to us! Thank you for making our Christmas and the World Super colourful Ed! We will cherish this gift forever ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qtPTozUTIr
— JEDWARD (@planetjedward) December 24, 2020
‘Afterglow’ is out now.
