This month’s celebrity spotlight goes to UK musician Ed Sheeran and the saga of the lion’s head tattoo.

Back in August, Sheeran had a bit of fun with his fans. The songwriter went to great lengths to convince them that his lion’s head chest tattoo was actually just a bit of clever makeup.

Before Sheeran had the chance to set everything straight, the prank had already been picked up by various web news outlets. Soon afterwards, Sheeran posted another photo to Instagram revealing that the animal tattoo was in fact all real, and the true bit of clever makeup was the cover-up job done to hide the tattoo in preparation for a TV appearance. Sheeran even showed off a glimpse of the lion lurking underneath the hefty layer of makeup as proof.

It isn’t a stretch to believe that the tattoo is real when you consider that Sheeran is practically covered in them, with no signs of stopping any time soon. This tattoo in particular was inked by artist Kevin Paul, who is well-known in the celebrity community for having worked on a variety of British stars.

Animals have remained among the most popular designs for tattoos. Sheeran went with a coloured design, but often we see depictions of animals done in black ink. The lion, a symbol of strength and majesty, makes a bold statement, especially when it’s emblazoned on the chest. Lions represent a wide range of concepts such as power, authority, passion, and courage. In Sheeran’s case, the tattoo was his way of commemorating three sold out shows played at London’s Wembley Stadium. Wembley is the home of England’s national football team, whose symbol is, you guessed it, the lion.

A fitting tribute, don’t you think?