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From the top of the world to the lowest lows, viewers will see Ed Sheeran go through it all in the newly-announced Disney+ four-part docuseries Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All. In the trailer (released Mar. 20), Ed, 32, attributes his success in music and life to two people: Jamal Edwards, the founder of the online platform SBTV, who launched his career; and Cherry Seaborn, Ed’s wife, and mother of his children. “You have to wait for one person to be, ‘that’s great,’ and for me, it was Jamal,” said Ed, who referred to Edwards as his “best friend.”
Jamal Edwards passed away in 2022 at age 31 due to cardiac arrhythmia caused by recreational drugs, per the BBC. “The loss took over my life,” said Ed, who, at one point in the trailer, breaks down in tears while sitting in the back seat of the car. Ed “hasn’t had the time to process and be at peace with his thoughts,” especially since Jamal’s death came when Cherry, 30, was diagnosed with a tumor while pregnant with their second daughter. “Life is unpredictable,” says Ed in the trailer. “Plans can change really quickly.”
The four-part documentary, produced by Emmy Award-winning producers at Fulwell 73 Productions, premieres globally on Disney+ on May 3. It will allow fans to see an aspect of Ed they’ve never known. “I’ve always been very guarded in my personal and private life; the only documentary I’ve ever made has been one that focused on my songwriting,” Sheeran says in a press release. “Disney approached me to make a four-part documentary, and it felt like the right time to open the door and let people in. I hope people enjoy it.”
“Everyone in the world knows and loves Ed Sheeran’s songs, as he has been the soundtrack to so many moments of our lives,” said Fulwell 73 partners Ben Turner and Ben Winston in a joint statement. “But this series of films shows the true man behind the hits, showing Ed in an entirely different way after a tumultuous year personally and professionally. This four-part series has been an honor for us to make.”
Ed reflected on this tumultuous point in his life in an Instagram post at the start of March, shortly after announcing his new album, Subtract. “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumor, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly, and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiraling through fear, depression, and anxiety. I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.”
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