Ed Sheeran & Taylor Swift

The 22-year-old singer and the 'I Knew You Were Trouble' hitmaker have been the subject of romance rumours after striking up a close friendship when they worked together on the US star's album 'Red' but Ed - who is currently supporting his pal on tour in America - insists it would be "idiotic" for them to take their bond further as it would just make life "awkward" if things went wrong.

When asked if he was dating Taylor, he said: "I think it would be incredibly unprofessional and idiotic for me to do that.

"To go on tour for six months with someone and hook up with them just before you go out on tour, which is what people think we did--that's just a really silly thing to do, because the tour would be very awkward by now, and it's not, so that's that."

Taylor has previously been romantically linked with a host of male stars including One Direction hunk Harry Styles, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Mayer, Joe Jonas and Taylor Lautner  but Ed insists the rumours are far from the truth and he can't understand why she is so harshly criticised.

Speaking to America's OK! magazine, Ed explained: "The rumour that she dates a lot of people is a misconception, because in the time that I've known her, which has been which has been almost two years now, she has dated two people. Fact! And in her entire life, I think she's dated around five or six people.

"I mean, I have female friends at home who would not have the same reputation as Taylor in media that have been with ten times more people than her.

"I don't like when people take shots at her because I do know her personally, and I think people get the wrong end of the stick.

"She's so successful, and she's so nice and sweet to everyone that she meets, there is nothing bad to say but she was being pictured with a lot of dudes."