Ellie Goulding celebrated her 36th birthday with a curiously cryptic swimsuit selfie.
The flashlights singer celebrated her birthday on December 30, the odd period between Christmas and New Year’s, and as a result, she said she was late in posting about it.
Ellie posted a stunning, smiling bikini selfie with her 14 million followers on Thursday, kicking off the new year, as she reflected about life and growing older, asking her fans to always be proud of themselves.
Ellie smiles happily for the camera in the photo, her brunette hair falling loose over her shoulders as she stands in a chair wearing only a green polka dot bikini.
Writing in a post beside the snap showing off her toned body, she wrote joked: ‘Slightly delayed post but do allow me a birthday shot in quite good lighting.’
She began her 36th year with some ‘random thoughts’ to celebrate becoming ‘another year older,’ some of her musings seemingly quite cryptic.

‘Staying in the glow of everything I’ve accomplished (including the teeny things like getting out of bed) and not constantly downplaying things to myself to exhaustion. Accepting it’s ok to be proud of yourself,’ she wrote.
She wrote that she had begun working on stress by taking ashwaganda, magnesium and eating well, had been drinking plenty of water and reading regularly, and admitted she worried her anxiety was ‘ageing me.’
‘Noticing that my anxiety induced adrenalin might be ageing me (or is that just age?!) but I also feel like I could lift a car at any moment, so I’m still quite lethal somehow despite being knackered most of the time.’
Ellie went on: ‘I have spent more time alone on walks this year than ever. Don’t always find the answers, but being in nature will always be the most healing and nurturing thing possible.’
‘Classical music is needed more than ever,’ she added, throwing out recommendations to her fans including the works of Max Richter and Jean Michel Blais.
Amid the philosophical musings, Ellie asked asked whether her brunette hair was better than her trademark blonde, deciding it ‘remains to be seen.’
The musician finished by reminding her followers that ‘lots of sleep’ is ‘crucial,’ signing off by writing: ‘That’s all for now! Love you.’
Hundreds of people left comments wishing Ellie well, with Richard E Grant, Craig David, and Daisy Lowe among those wishing her a happy birthday.
Ellie’s remark comes after she suddenly addressed a decade-old myth that had sparked outrage in 2014: that she had cheated on Ed Sheeran with One Direction member Niall Horan.
Ellie was rumoured to be dating Shivers singer Ed in 2013, but when hand-holding photographs of her and Niall circulated, fans of both Ed and Niall became enraged.
Having never previously given heed to the rumours, this week Ellie replied to a fan who had commented on her TikTok writing: ‘Can’t believe u cheated on ed with niall but slay fr [sic].’
The mum-of-one then responded: ‘False!!!!’, before adding a tongue-in-cheek ‘But also slay’ to show there were no hard feelings.