Ed Sheeran jokes about getting face 'cut open' in first official gig of 2016
Ed Sheeran has joked about getting his face "cut open" as he showed off a scar on his cheek during his first official performance of 2016.
The Suffolk-born singer returned to his roots to perform at a fundraiser held in aid of East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) nook appeal.
Sheeran's comments came after he was reportedly cut on the face by Princess Beatrice during a party prank.
The Sun said he needed stitches after the princess swung aceremonial sword over her shoulder while she was pretending to "knight" James Blunt. She didn't realise the Thinking Out Loud singer was behind her.
The fundraiser took place at the Natural History Museum.
Sheeran performed in front of Dippy the Diplodocus, the dinosaur skeleton replica which will be removed from Hintze Hall next month to go on a nationwide tour.
During the 45-minute set, he treated guests to performances of his most famous hits including Thinking Out Loud, Sing, I See Fire and The A Team.
Sheeran - who took a break from social media in December 2015 and has not posted publicly online since - also played Justin Bieber's Love Yourself - a song he co-wrote but said he had never played live before.
Proceeds from the gig went towards EACH's nook appeal, which aims to raise £10 million to transform children's palliative care across Norfolk. It includes building a new hospice called the nook.
Sheeran has been an ambassador for the charity since 2014.
The total raised on the night came to more than £262,000.