Ed Sheeran's support for contestant at centre of X Factor NZ bullying storm

Pop singer Ed Sheeran has proved he's still the nicest man in the music industry by showing his support to the X Factor New Zealand contestant who was bullied on the show.

Joe Irvine was verbally ripped to shreds by Natalia Kills and fellow judge Willy Moon, who is also her husband, following his performance of Michael Buble's 'Cry Me a River'. Check it out above.

It wasn't long before Ed tweeted him: "@jooe63_joe don't worry about what anyone else says man. Enjoy yourself with it, that's what singing is about, not what other people think."

It comes following the news Natalia and Willy have now been sacked (yaay, the crowd goes wild) after viewers, sponsors and advertisers slammed the live show publicly.

Host Dominic Bowden announced the decision yesterday: "Yes, following last night's show, MediaWorks has made the decision that Willy Moon and Natalia Kills are leaving the show."