Ellie Goulding has revealed that she nearly went into politics before turning to pop music.
The singer, 33, said seeing homelessness, pollution and poverty as a young woman had prompted her to write to her local MP.
The Love Me Like You Do singer later went for work experience at Parliament.
fact- At one point I wanted to go into politics because of what I noticed around me (Homelessness, Pollution, poverty) I wrote to my local MP and got “work experience” at Houses of Parliament, mad
— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) June 12, 2020
She said on Twitter: “At one point I wanted to go into politics because of what I noticed around me (Homelessness, Pollution, poverty) I wrote to my local MP and got ‘work experience’ at Houses of Parliament, mad.”
Goulding, from Hereford, is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Foundation.
She has been vocal about climate change, politics and, most recently, the Black Lives Matter movement.
— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) June 4, 2020
Earlier this month, she released a statement on Twitter addressing the death of George Floyd in the US, and subsequent anti-racism protests.
She said: “After being initially horrified, I (spent) the past few days learning and listening, opening my ears to voices that have been protesting this for years and dedicating their lives to it, to voices I am ashamed that I didn’t listen to more, to history I safely and comfortably knew a bit about but not enough.”
Goulding also promised to be a “better ally” to marginalised communities.