Ed Sheeran thinks musicians put too much pressure on themselves to look perfect.

The 'Thinking Out Loud' hitmaker, who previously revealed he used to wear a girdle to make himself look slimmer on stage, insists he doesn't let critics who keep close tabs on his weight get to him.

He said: ''I've never tried to look a certain way, and at the beginning the media was not nice, but I never really cared. Taylor [Swift] is the same way. I think the pressure on artists - both male and female - to look good in the media actually comes from the artists themselves. In reality you need to live your life.''

The 24-year-old star struggled to make a name for himself when he was first starting out, but claims giving up on his dreams wasn't an option.

He said: ''It was hard, but throwing in the towel never made any sense to me. Simply, I didn't have a plan B.

''When I started, I wasn't that good, but I knew if I just kept playing, I'd get better.''

Despite his success, Ed says he is still adjusting to fame.

He added to America's Glamour magazine: ''It's a weird adjustment, but I found that I shouldn't question it. I try not to think, 'Oh, I'm here with Elton John - this is weird!' Just roll with it.''