Ed Sheeran has been handed an honorary degree in recognition of his ''outstanding career in music''.

The 'Bloodstream' hitmaker - who was awarded the doctorate by University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich, near his hometown of Framlingham - was invited to speak at the ceremony and took the opportunity to urge young people to ''chill'' more.

He said: ''I know that's a weird thing to say when coming to receive a doctorate but I think there's a lot of pressure on kids to go to university, then a lot of them end up in debt with a degree they didn't really need to get the job they want.

''We should be encouraging kids to chill a bit more. You don't have to go to university at 18, you can go off and travel for a year.''

The 23-year-old star also gave the students an idea of where they could travel if they wanted ''super cheap'' alcohol.

He added: ''Thailand's super-cheap - you can get beers for 15p. Just go and find yourself there. Hang out with people of a similar age and grow.''

And Ed may have even more to celebrate after he reportedly secured a speaking role in 'Bridget Jones' Baby' alongside lead actress Renee Zellweger.

A source told The Sun newspaper: ''Ed was really keen to be part of the movie after granting access to film at his gig.

''He's got experience playing himself in 'Home And Away' and is not daunted by the prospect of starring alongside Renee. 'Bridget Jones' is a huge British film so he feels nabbing a cameo is a bit of a coup. He just hopes he'll make the final cut.''