Ed Sheeran named honorary co-mayor of Ipswich, Australia

Ed Sheeran grew up about 15 miles from the town of Ipswich, England, and has a minority stake in Ipswich Town Football Club, his favorite soccer team. He's also been named the honorary co-mayor of Ipswich — but a completely different Ipswich, halfway around the world.

During his current Australian tour, Ed dropped by the town of Ipswich, located in the Australian state of Queensland, which had launched a massive citywide campaign urging him to visit. While there, he signed a mural of himself that the town had painted in his honor, and added, "There's a new mayor in town."

The actual mayor of Ipswich, Teresa Harding, has posted on Instagram photos of herself meeting Ed at his show in Brisbane on Sunday. She wrote, "I had the chance to meet Ed and thank him on behalf of our whole community." She added, "When he visited Ipswich on Friday, he joked and asked if he was now the new Mayor."

"So at his concert on Sunday night, I made it official and presented him with the Mayoral chains, naming him an honorary co‑Mayor of Ipswich," Harding continued.

"He loved it, and while he insisted our Ipswich was the 'second‑best Ipswich,' I assured him ours is absolutely number one."

Ed's LOOP tour of Australia continues through March 5.