For most superfans, the thought of hooking up with their idol is a distant dream – but for Ed Sheeran obsessive Amanda Barron, that fantasy is closer to a reality. After joking with friends that she’d one day marry the singer, she now has the Perfect substitute, as she’s in a relationship with professional Ed Sheeran lookalike, Ty Jones – and she’s having his baby.
Amanda, 37, says, “My house is full of Ed merchandise, from T-shirts and jumpers to bed sheets and figurines. It’s mad to think I’m having a daughter with a man who looks just like him.”
Amanda has been a fan of Ed since he released his first album + in 2011. She says, “I connected with his music, but I loved how normal and down-to-earth he seemed – and I love ginger men!”
Since then, she’s amassed a huge collection of memorabilia and has seen him perform in concert twice. She says, “Tickets are expensive so I can’t follow him around, but each time I’ve seen him it’s been so special.”
Meanwhile, Ty, 27, had also loved the singer since the beginning. His friends were quick to point out the resemblance – and then he had an unlikely run-in with the star.
Ty says, “A photo of me went viral online because of my resemblance to Ed. Ed saw it and got confused – because
he thought it was a picture of himself! He reached out on social media and arranged for me to meet him at a show at the Manchester Apollo. It was like looking in the mirror!”
Ty was inspired to give a career as an Ed lookalike a go – and he’s been a huge success. He works full time as an impersonator, doing meet-and- greets, making personalised videos and performing at weddings. He even started learning guitar last year and mimes singing to backing tracks.
❛SOME FANS ASK ME FOR A SELFIE AND GET ANNOYED WHEN I SAY I’M NOT ED❜
Amanda and Ty, both from Manchester, met while both in the audience at an open mic night. Amanda
says, “We were introduced through mutual friends and of course I fancied him immediately – he looked just like Ed! But it was more than that, he was so fun and we hit it off straight away.”
The pair quickly fell in love and now Amanda, who is already a mum-of-four from a previous relationship, is thrilled to be expecting a daughter. Although Amanda and Ty currently live apart, they’re planning to move in together once the baby is born.
On 19 May, Ed also announced that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, had given birth to their second daughter.
Amanda says, “We love the timing of it all! We’ve been playing Ed’s song Sandman to our baby, which he wrote as
a lullaby for his first daughter. We want her to be a superfan just like us!
“We’ve sewn some Ed Sheeran patches onto a denim jacket for her, which looks so cute. We can’t wait to go to concerts together as a family.”
However, their relationship hasn’t all been plain sailing, as the couple have received cruel comments online. Amanda reveals, “Trolls think I’m just with Ty for his looks. But we’re so happy together and can’t wait for the birth of our daughter.”
Amanda also has to put up with Ed’s adoring fans mistaking her man for the real thing. She says, “People come up to us in the street – it happens all day, every day.”
Ty adds, “Some fans come over shaking and asking for a selfie, and I can feel guilty letting them down and saying I’m not the real Ed. Sometimes they don’t actually believe me and they get offended and storm off.
“But I’m grateful for the fans I have, because I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Amanda is my biggest supporter, and I’m so lucky to have her. She’s charming and I’m so excited to welcome a daughter with her.”