Ed Sheeran has said that a South Park joke about ginger hair “f***ing ruined” his life.

The singer explained in a new interview that nobody in the US thought to mock his hair colour until an episode of the animated series was broadcast in 2005.

“Having red hair in England was always a thing that people took the p*** out of you for,” he tole Slam Radio, adding: “But it was never something in America. People never knew what a ginger was in America.”

‘That episode of South Park f***ing ruined my life,” he continued. “I was going to America and everyone was like ’I love your hair dude.’ And I was like ‘Oh my God, people like my hair?’

‘And then I remember that episode coming out and that was just it worldwide for the rest of my life.”

The episode, titled “Ginger Kids”, is from the show’s ninth season. It sees Cartman wake up one morning with ginger hair, which is referred to as “gingervitis”.

Elsewhere in the episode, having ginger hair is described as “a curse”.

The episode, which was written by co-creator Trey Parker, caused controversy at the time following reports that it incited violence against people with ginger hair.

Sheeran said that he is still a fan of the show and would love to voice a character one day.