Harry Styles: Ed Sheeran's tattoo artist on the pair's matching Pingu tats
Tattoo artist Kevin Paul has worked with stars including Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
When Ed Sheeran's tattoo artist turned up for a job in north London, he was surprised to the 'Harry' on the booking was none other than Harry Styles.
Kevin Paul, 45, has worked with some huge names from the showbiz world including Rihanna and Lady Gaga.
He has inked more than 40 designs for Shape of You singer Sheeran, but says he actually prefers working with non-celebs.
The dad-of-four said: “The biggest highlights of my career are not doing tattoos for celebrities - they’re working with real people with much better stories to tell."
Kevin started tattooing pals at 13 after making his own gun.
He opened a parlour in his early 20s and quickly made a name for himself.
Ed Sheeran's tattoos
Hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks were among his first clients and recommended him to Sheeran.
The pair struck up a friendship and Kevin is now responsible for many of the singer's tattoos - including a massive lion on his chest.
Kevin said: "Ed told me he loved Africa. He invited me to his house to discuss tattoos, and he had this big African painting. We decided on the lion idea to represent that.”
Harry Styles' tattoos
Soon after, Kevin's services were requested by Hampstead resident Harry Styles.
He said: “I met Harry through Ed. Ed told me his mate Harry wanted to get a tattoo so gave him my number.
“At this point I didn’t know it was Harry Styles. I turned up at Holloway in North London, and there he was.
“I tattooed Ed Sheeran first, they had come up with an idea to get a Pingu tattoo. It was a s*it tattoo but I agreed to do it."
Kevin Paul, life coach
Away from the showbiz world, Kevin has also worked as a life coach. As part of his motivational and life coaching career, he has given talks and worked with some notorious criminals.
Despite having rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous for the best part of 15 years, Kevin says that for the most part he finds the celeb lifestyle “boring".
And he said: “In 2019, I decided to strip my life back. All the celeb stuff, the parties - it was all just too much. I wanted to reestablish myself as a film-maker."
Kevin, from Derby, is currently making "true-life" gangster film.