Music & Musicians

Watch Ed Sheeran serenade a runner while he floats on a boat nearby

"Any requests?" Sheeran asked the woman, who whipped out a phone to document the surprise performance

Ed Sheeran.
Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Ed Sheeran gave a runner in London the surprise of her life when he paused a video shoot to serenade her with a love song.

Sheeran, 33, posted a clip of the interaction Sept. 17 Instagram, explaining in his caption that he was filming a video on a boat when he spotted the woman running on a nearby sidewalk.

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"Was filming a video on the canal today, played a request. If anyone knows the runner lemme know so we can have their POV video for the lols," wrote Sheeran, who shared a shorter version of the clip on TikTok.

The video shows Sheeran holding a guitar and floating along a canal when he sees the woman running alongside his boat.

“Hi!” Sheeran says with a wave before asking the woman, “Any requests?”

After slowing down a bit, the runner responds, "Can you do 'Tenerife Sea'?"

Just then, Sheeran begins playing a note-perfect version of his romantic 2014 ballad, prompting the woman to whip out her phone to record the special moment.

After he finishes, Sheeran cheerfully raises his thumb and tells his lone audience member, "Have a good rest of your run."

The woman gives Sheeran a little wave and takes off again.

The runner, whose name is Nikki Atkins, later identified herself by posting her version of the footage in her Instagram stories, which has since vanished. Atkins also spoke to the BBC about how thrilling it was to be serenaded by the star.

Sheeran's followers responded to his video to say they probably wouldn't have been as calm as Atkins was had they been in her shoes.

"Love this! She was just so casual with her request," one marveled while another wrote, "I think I’d pass out."

"That kind of thing never happen to me bc I would jump in the water," said a third fan.

Meanwhile, another fan was inspired by Sheeran's video to take up jogging herself. "I think i need to start running. How lovely," she joked.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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