Ed Sheeran insists he thinks Miley Cyrus is "fantastic" even though she called him an "a**hole."

Asked about the incident, the 23-year-old British singer told 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest': "Well, I don't know why people were expecting that [high-five]. I've never met her. There was a high-five between me and Scooter [Braun] because I know him, and that was the only high-five. I don't know what people were expecting."

He added: "I think she's a fantastic artist. I think she's got a great voice, writes great songs."

Ed previously blasted Miley for doing a "stripper's move" on stage at the awards bash last year.

He said at the time: "If I had a daughter of mine, I wouldn't want her twerking."

He also said: "When I first heard 'Wrecking Ball,' I thought it was a brilliant song. But the video distracts too much from it."