Ed Sheeran lookalike says being the singer’s double is ruining his love life
Ty Jones finds it hard to tell if women like him for who he is or are just looking for the next best thing to the pop star
A man who looks identical to Ed Sheeran says he struggles to get a girlfriend because he's constantly bombarded by legions of female fans - who make his partners jealous.
Ty Jones, from Sale, Manchester, finds it hard to tell if women like him for who he is or are just looking for the next best thing to the pop star.
The 21-year-old, who is even the same height as Ed, sometimes struggles to leave the house because people want to talk to him and find out if he's the real deal.
Growing up, he was always shy and hated attention, but since the rise of the hit maker has had to learn how to deal with hundreds of fans.
Ty said: "When Ed became really famous I had people always coming up to me and talking to me and wanting my picture - it was crazy.
"He's such a big artist and I'm a massive fan of his but now it's like I can't escape it, people go mad when they think they're meeting Ed Sheeran.”
And, looking like the ginger-haired chart topper has had a negative effect on his love life.
"It's made my relationships worse I'd say because now I have to weigh up if they like me for me or are they're just interested in me because I'm the next best thing to Ed if they really like him,” he said.
"When girls ask me for pictures in the streets it's annoyed some of my girlfriends in the past and caused problems.
"It's hard to explain because it's not like I can help it and I don't like being horrible to people and deny them a picture if they want one."
Even though he can't sing, Ty is often asked to go to parties and gigs to mime to Ed's songs and says his similarities come in handy when trying to get into clubs.
Ty, who works at Mecca Bingo, is told that he looks like Ed Sheeran so much that he's even gone to bed still hearing it in his head.
Since his rise to lookalike fame, he's also managed to land a role in Channel 4's popular show Lookalikes.
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His dream came true back in 2012 when he was given the chance to meet the singer himself - and said it was just like looking in a mirror.
It came after he had been tagged in a viral post saying that Ed Sheeran was at a rave in Manchester - when it was actually Ty.
About three months ago, Ty was pulled up on stage by DJ Ben Pearce who thought he was Ed when he was on a night out in the Northern Quarter, Manchester.
Ty said: "Ben actually thought I was Ed Sheeran and started introducing me as him it was quite funny - then when I told him I just look like him he couldn't believe it.
"It does come in handy sometimes on nights out and things, and people really go crazy when they've had a drink - they don't hold back.
"Meeting Ed has been the highlight in all of this, he was so down to earth and just so shocked at how much I looked like him, it was really funny.
"I've had a few photos of me go viral because people thought they were Ed Sheeran which is mad because I don't expect it and my friends and family tag me in these pictures all the time."
Ty, who also works as a barman, said even Ed couldn't believe their similarities and the two are planning to meet up again soon to hang out.