Singer Ed Sheeran has shared news of his engagement and added that “our cats are chuffed as well”.

The musician revealed he and girlfriend Cherry Seaborn are engaged on Instagram.

Sharing a photograph of them together to his more than 18 million followers, he wrote: “Got myself a fiancé just before new year. We are very happy and in love, and our cats are chuffed as well xx.”

The post received more than a half a million likes by fans in just 20 minutes.

Last year the singer credited Seaborn, who he has reportedly been dating since 2015, with nursing him back to health after he was involved in a bicycle accident.

He told the Capital Breakfast Show that she “had to brush my teeth”, and later added she is a “good woman”.

During an interview with the Sunday Times magazine last year he also sang Seaborn’s praises,  saying:  “It’s awesome meeting famous people. But that’s not life. That’s not reality. One day this will end.

“And I know the one person that’s going to remain constant is Cherry. I should just enjoy this while it’s there but not let it become my reality. Because that’s not the reality I want to live in.”

The singer-songwriter’s third studio album Divide has had a successful run of topping the charts and his single Perfect – which he has reportedly said was inspired by Seaborn – was the Christmas number one.