British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran shocked fans this week after unveiling a huge tattoo across his chest that's currently in progress. 

He shared a snapshot of the piece, which is a colourful head of a lion, via his social media outlets and has now rushed to defend it after Keane's frontman Tom Chaplin described it as a "really bad" on Twitter. 

Chaplin wrote: "Please tell me this is a prank. Cos if it isn't, @edsheeran has a really bad picture of a lion on his chest FOREVER." Upon seeing the remark, the 'Thinking Out Loud' sensation took to his own Twitter account and replied publicly to him, writing: "I like it and that's the only opinion that matters."

A fan then posted a message to Chaplin, suggesting that maybe Sheeran wanted to pay tribute to Cecil the lion although the comment didn't seem to dispel his negativity because he replied: "If so, he may have made the situation worse."

Sheeran, meanwhile, has just been confirmed to receive an honorary degree from University Campus Suffolk and confessed that he's touched by the gesture: "Suffolk is very much where I call home and I'm always welcomed back and get so much support. Receiving this recognition is a real privilege. UCS is at an exciting point in its development and I look forward to building links with UCS and its students in the months and years to come."

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