Ed Sheeran collaborated with Robbie Williams from the high seas

Ed Sheeran worked on a song for Robbie Williams' new album while he was aboard a cruise ship.

Earlier this year (16), Ed and his producer pal Benny Blanco took to the high seas in search of musical inspiration, booking a suite on the Queen Mary II pleasure liner to use as a recording studio.

And now Robbie has revealed that while at sea, Ed was recording parts for a collaboration which will appear on his new album The Heavy Entertainment Show.

"Ed and me have done a song on the album called Pretty Woman," Robbie tells Britain's Magic Radio. "It was all done by email. He wasn't in the room, sadly, but I'm sure we'll get to have our day in the studio together soon.

"I think he was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the time, on the Queen Mary. That's where he was. He booked several suites to record some music."

Despite the Thinking Out Loud singer's global fame he reportedly didn't receive any special treatment on the vessel, and happily mingled with regular passengers.

"Ed's casual dress meant he couldn't get into any of the fancy dinner areas (on the ship), not that he cared," a source told The Sun just after the voyage. "He was pretty much confined to two informal areas but was very laid back, happy and chatting to everyone."

Comparing Ed to famous nice-guy actor Tom Hanks, Robbie says the musician’s laidback lifestyle should be a model for other popstars.

"I think everybody knows that Ed Sheeran is a good person," he explains. "He's the most unaffected popstar that's having incredible success. There should be a study on him to see how he's doing it."

Robbie's album is due out in November (16), with its lead single Party Like A Russian released Friday (30Sep16).