Taylor Swift's pal Ed Sheeran has followed the singer's lead and opened up about a mystery rival who stole his girlfriend in a new radio interview.

In a new Rolling Stone interview, Swift reveals she now tries to avoid an unnamed pop star who attempted to wreck her Red Tour by swiping dancers, and now Sheeran has revealed a fellow Brit, who he thought was a pal, stole his girl, prompting him to pen the song 'Don't'.

Ed Sheeran

Appearing on U.S. shock jock Howard Stern's radio show, Sheeran confirmed that the song is about a girl who cheated on him while they were staying in the same hotel, adding his love rival was a "mate".

He told Stern, "I was just a bit like, 'Erm, not cool, but...' We haven't really spoken since then".

The radio host then pressed his guest for the identity of the friend, asking if it was "the guy from One Direction", prompting Sheeran to respond, "Well, it depends which one you're talking about".

That remark alone sent gossips into overdrive as they suggested the girl in question could have been Ellie Goulding, who briefly dated Niall Horan or Swift, who romanced Harry Styles at the end of 2012.

Sheeran has previously dismissed rumours suggesting that Swift was the ex who became a muse for 'Don't'.

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