Harry Potter star is NOT Ed Sheeran in disguise

GLOBAL – Is Harry Potter star Rupert Grint now a singer? People are still posting their confusion caused by double Brit award winner Ed Sheeran’s Lego House video. Even yesterday people were commenting on the similarities with Ron Weasley on YouTube. We’ve posted the “making of” video so that you won’t confuse yourself with the Harry Potter star when trying to buy Ed Sheeran tracks at Nokia Music Store.

But you’d have to be pretty daft to think it was the Hogwarts pupil casting a spell over the O2 audience at the Brits ceremony last month.

Nobody could take the credit away from 21-year-old Ed, the lone artist in a green T-shirt, clutching a guitar. His live performance of Lego House was perfect – no better way to crown his recent arrival on the music scene. Supremely confident and assured, the English singer made a huge impact both on the live audience in London and on millions of TV viewers.

No big stage props or hordes of dancers. Just him, his instrument and those magical lyrics which are winning him fans all around the world.

Sheeran has been enjoying huge success since his debut album, +, was released in September. It immediately topped the UK chart and started the momentum that brought him Best Male Artist and Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards 2012.

Ed, who cloaks gritty words in his melodic rap-inspired tunes, seemed surprised about the awards and was clearly overawed as he made his acceptance speeches. Now he seems destined to be the biggest ginger-haired star since Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall.

Which brings us back to that video. Why would you want to confuse yourself with Rupert Grint, an uncannily similar-looking red-haired star froom the Harry Potter movie. If I was cynical I’d suggest it was to grab the attention of millions of Potter fans. If it was a ploy, it seems to have worked.

“Thank you, Rupert, for introducing me to this brilliant artist! I admit, being from the States, I had never heard of Ed Sheeran until I read Rupert was going to be in one of his videos. I have not been able to stop listening to this song or any of his other stuff,” says one fan.

But Rupert Grint, who plays a crazed stalker in the Lego House music video, revealed: “Ed Sheeran supports the gingers!” So maybe Ed’s just having a bit of fun, uniting with Rupert to get his own back against ginger haters.

Sheeran told one newspaper: “When I was coming up with ideas for the Lego House video, I knew that I wanted Rupert to be in it. I’ve grown up with the Potter films and have massive respect for him as an actor.”

Sheeran’s fourth single Drunk released last month, from the album + on Atlantic Records, is still in the Nokia Music chart.

The amusing video is ironic because in real life, Ed is teetotal and only drinks orange squash.

His success story is pretty amazing when you consider he built his fan base before he signed with a record label, after sheer hard work.

He uploaded songs to Facebook and YouTube, and toured relentlessly, playing 312 shows in a year while “sofa surfing” at mates’ places, keeping his costs to a minimum.

His first big hit, The A Team, was written after meeting a prostitute during a visit to a homeless shelter.

The recording cost £200 and was released in 2010, still with no support from a record label. It sold 200,000 copies in two weeks.

Later that year Ed was spotted at an open Mic event in Los Angeles by actor Jamie Foxx, who put his Hollywood home recording studio at Ed’s disposal.

If he carries on at this rate, Ed looks sure to scoop a Grammy next year. And nobody would deserve it more.