Ed Sheeran’s cousin has lifted the lid on their bitter family feud – and insisted he will never speak to the superstar singer again.

Jethro Sheeran is nine years older than his cousin Ed and claims to have been a key influence in forming his musical tastes and influences as he was trying to start out as a singer-songwriter.

When the now world famous singer was growing up Jethro says he would spend school holidays hanging out and writing and recording his very first tracks with the cousin he looked up to.

But over the years the pair’s fortunes went in different directions: Ed found global pop superstardom with a string of hits and earned an estimated £375 million fortune while Jethro, now 42, continues to try for a chart breakthrough and lives with his mother.

They had already drifted apart as their careers diverged but now a furious row has broken out between the estranged cousins – after Warner Music hired lawyers to order him to stop using Ed’s name commercially.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline Jethro has now accused his celebrated 33-year-old cousin of carrying out a personal vendetta against him by sanctioning his record label’s threat to take him to court.

Speaking for the first time about the rift, furious Jethro said: ‘I don’t consider Ed to be family to me any more.

‘I love him because he is my blood and flesh but I don’t need to know him any more.’

Explaining the cause of his fury, Jethro, from Bristol went on: ‘Our relationship has broken down over music, I taught him, and we’re now not even on talking terms.

‘He needs to apologise to me first but I don’t think he ever will.

‘I was ordered to drop his name and image from our joint music which he had been using and I want to [use].

‘He has made millions but I feel I was due some recompense and recognition through a verbal agreement we both had of three songs I had written and produced, and gave to him to take to his fan base.

‘And I wanted to use them too but have been legally stopped from using his name or face. How ridiculous is that?

‘Why wouldn’t he want to help and be kind to a family member who is an aspiring musician?’

The bone of contention that sparked the feud centred around a track called Raise Em Up which Jethro recorded with Ed in 2010. It also featured in the 2013 movie All Stars.

Jethro had recorded a remixed version which co-credited Ed and featured his face in artwork.

He hoped that re-releasing the track would help raise funds to help his daughter, Skyla Rain Sheeran, who is also an aspiring singer, get a start on a career in music.

But lawyers working for Ed’s record label, Warner Music, soon contacted Jethro to say they would take him to court unless he dropped references to Ed on the track.

The row boiled over in September when Warner became aware of Jethro’s plans for the remix of the track he and Ed had first recorded together 14 years earlier.

Jethro then accused his cousin of personally ordering Warner Music to threaten him with legal action – something he says he has no choice but to comply with as he has no money to fund a legal defence.

He went on: ‘I am very disappointed and saddened by his actions but I would still wish him the best of luck.’

Speaking at the modest end-of-terrace home in Bristol, which he shares with his mother, a nurse, whilst living between Britain and Denmark, Jethro, 42, went on: ‘I’m not a multi millionaire like he is but I am doing OK financially.

‘He wants fame, money and success at all costs.’

Such is the extent of their fallout that Jetho even jokingly even refers to Ed as ‘the devil’.

Giving an intriguing rare insight into their family life, Jethro, who was brought up in the notorious St Pauls district of Bristol, told how he believes he musically inspired Ed.

The cousins are first cousins as their respective fathers are brothers. Though the older generation have refused to be drawn into their sons’ feud and still get on.

Jethro, whose father is one of eight siblings, grew up in a huge Irish family with a passion for music.

But it was the two cousins who took their interest further. .

Today, Jethro, who has his own hip hop following, reckons he is a better rapper than icon Ed, saying: ‘He’s a good singer, but I rap better than he does and he’s not legendary!

‘He’s not a Bob Marley or Bob Dylan, he’s great but he’s not a legend. It’s not my style of music. I am not a fan.

‘[But] he’s relatable and people sing along to his songs. They are good but they are like nursery rhymes, they have no depth, and to me they are boring.

In a recent social media rant Jethro called Ed a ‘silver spoon weirdo’ as he urged fellow performer and pal Stormzy to ‘have a word’ with him.

Aside from music, Jethro told how he has not even met the star’s wife – 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥hood sweetheart Cherry Sea𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, 32, whom he wed quietly in January 2018, and their two daughters, Lyra, aged four, and two-year-old Jupiter.

He said: ‘I was informally invited to the wedding through family but didn’t go as I was away in New York at the time.

‘I have never even met Ed’s wife or their little girls. How strange is that?’

Recalling the better times, he said: ‘I started Ed’s career off. We were the closest of cousins from a very big Irish family and we saw each other at get-togethers, 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡days, weddings and funerals.

‘I’m nine years older than Ed and I think he looked up to me and I got him into his music.

‘We were the only two musicians in the family and we made music together.

‘Ed even got the same matching single star tattoo on his arm after I did, and we showed them off together.

‘Ed was a nobody when he started out but over the years he grew and grew into a massive success and he pulled off a few shows with Taylor Swift.

‘Now he is one of the biggest stars in the world, and I am so proud of him.’

But Jethro added: ‘It doesn’t mean I have to like him or want to see him. We’ve not met up for five or six years or so.

‘He needs to say sorry to me. He’s p*****d me off, and a lot of other people too.

‘Maybe he was jealous of me?

‘I could take him to court but I haven’t because it will cost me a lot of money.’

Jethro, who boasts he has ‘a lot of energy’ and a ‘great rap voice’ said his dream would have been to perform together with Ed.

He said: ‘Can you imagine if Ed was playing Wembley and suddenly introduced me, his rapper cousin from Bristol, and we were on stage together rapping.

‘It would be wicked! You wonder why he wouldn’t do that’

Jethro continued: ‘My music is completely different to his, and to me my music, my family and my happiness is paramount.

‘I live by my motto ‘Love strong.’

Jethro, who has recorded some 230 tracks under his own name, told how he is currently working on new hip hop material.

He divides his time between the UK and Denmark where he previously lived until post-Brexit visa rules mean he can no longer live full time – so he is applying for an Irish passport to allow him to return. .

He is currently collaborating with his student daughter Skyla Rain, 20, who lives on the outskirts of Copenhagen in Denmark.

His ex Trinidadian wife, who he has remained friends with, also lives in the country.

Jethro plans to spend New Year in Jamaica and doing a project with Jamaican dancehall artist Tommy Lee Sparta.

In the past he has collaborated with several famous musicians, including 2 Pac, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg.

Ed also appeared in one of Jethro’s music videos, wearing a hoodie and using a crowbar to smash up a vehicle.

And Jethro featured on the star’s singles Move On, Pause, and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.

While the cousins are at war and Jethro claiming Ed is threatening his livelihood, the pop icon’s own wealth continues to grow.

In May the singer was crowned the richest young musician in the UK with £340 million.

The next wealthiest UK pop star under the age of 40 is former One direction member Harry Styles, 30, who made his £175 million through music and film appearances.

With some of his vast wealth, Ed has recently bought a minority stake in his beloved Ipswich Town Football Club.

Last month Ed became embroiled in a row with Sir Bob Geldof over a new version of a charity single.

He controversially announced he would have preferred his vocal contributions from a 2014 re-mix of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas were not used on the new release.

But he told how he has his own charity project relating to Africa.

Jethro said: ‘I’m involved In a massive eco community development on the beautiful African island Zanzibar which I’m working on privately with friends.

‘I’ve been helping for a charity in Denmark where we collected all last year’s 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren’s football boots and we sent them to Africa for 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren there to play football

‘I’m travelling to Ethiopia then Uganda in March next year and working on an Afrobeat album with one of my best friends in Africa, Herbert S𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁z, who was orphaned.