Music sensation and chart-topper Ed Sheeran has become the first celebrity in the United Kingdom to join Facebook's Mentions app that was launched this month and can only be accessed by an exclusive club of users. 

The Mentions app, open only to "actors, athletes, musicians and other influencers", enables celebrities to view messages and shares about them. The app sends high-profile users an alert similar to that of Twitter when mentioned by other users. 

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They can also make their reply, post updates, and join in live chats. Moreover, they won't be interrupted by ads and newsfeed spam. 

While the app can be easily downloaded by any user and has been made available in the iTunes store, only the rich and famous will be given full access to Mentions, particularly those with a verified page or profile on Facebook. 

Sheeran has joined the likes of actor Josh Duhamel, author Arianna Huffington, soccer star Alex Morgan, and Kim Kardashian, among others. 

Mariah Carey has been enjoying her time with the app, using the service to join in on a Q&A session with fans.

Tyrese Gibson and Whoopi Goldberg have also surprised Facebook users in their conversations, encouraging and reproving their fans, respectively.

But Star Trek actor William Shatner is not happy with how the app works, putting up a five-page critique on his personal page on Tumblr. 

The 83-year-old criticized Facebook for creating the "ill-conceived" app, claiming: "If you have this app please turn off notifications because if you post something your phone spends the next hour sending you notifications of every person who makes a comment."

According to Facebook, the app will be limited to only a few thousand members. So far, US-based actors, musicians, and athletes have mostly been approached.

One of the ideal benefits of having the service around is that the public will not be able to respond to any controversial comments, thereby avoiding unwelcome comments and counterblasts.

Ed Sheeran has moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and was recently honored by fans as the most influential artist of BBC's 1xtra radio station.

A spokesperson for the British singer-songwriter said: "He did not know this was such a bonkers system. He just wants to talk directly with his fans as he can on Twitter. We shall see if he keeps using it."

TagsEd Sheeran, William Shatner, Mentions app