British comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg delivered a cutting joke about Ed Sheeran during her opening monologue on “Saturday Night Live UK”, comparing the singer to a puppet controlled by somebody else.
The Ed Sheeran SNL UK joke came amid continuing criticism of the singer’s response to rapper Macklemore being removed from his Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.
Amelia Dimoldenberg compares Sheeran to a puppet
Dimoldenberg, best known as the creator and host of “Chicken Shop Date”, reflected on some of the celebrities she had interviewed while introducing Saturday’s programme.
“I’ve been incredibly privileged to have done so many interviews with people like Idris Elba, Cher, and even a world-famous, red-headed puppet with a hand up his arse telling him what to say,” she said.
A photograph of Dimoldenberg interviewing “Sesame Street” character Elmo initially appeared on screen.
“No, the other one,” she replied, prompting the image to change to a photograph of her with Sheeran.
The studio audience responded with laughter and cheers.
Dimoldenberg did not explicitly mention Macklemore or the dispute surrounding Sheeran’s tour. However, the joke was widely interpreted as suggesting that the singer had allowed promoters and stadium owners to influence his response to the controversy.
SNL UK repeatedly targets Ed Sheeran
The joke continued what has become a recurring theme on the British version of “Saturday Night Live”.
During the previous episode, cast member Annabel Marlow portrayed Sheeran as a performer unwilling to take sides during a fictional war between humans and artificial intelligence robots.
The parody targeted Sheeran’s initial statement that he did not use his professional platform for politics and wanted his concerts to provide a space for unity rather than division.
The programme’s Weekend Update segment also mocked the singer and his supporters as criticism of the tour intensified.
Sheeran has not publicly responded to Dimoldenberg’s monologue.
Macklemore removed after Palestine remarks
Macklemore was removed from the remaining dates of Sheeran’s US tour after declaring “Free Palestine” and performing his protest song “Hind’s Hall” during concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The rapper said several venues had warned that they would not permit him to perform if he remained on the tour.
Sheeran maintained that removing Macklemore was “the promoter’s decision, not mine” and said he attempted unsuccessfully to negotiate a solution with the parties involved.
Several other supporting performers subsequently withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Sheeran later apologised to fans during a concert in Philadelphia, acknowledging that he had made mistakes while attempting to manage the dispute.
He described the Hamas-led attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, as horrific but also called Israel’s military response in Gaza “catastrophic”, “unjustifiable” and “disproportionate”.
Gillette Stadium concerts cancelled
Sheeran was scheduled to perform two concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 25 and 26.
The stadium is owned by the Kraft Group, whose chief executive Robert Kraft was among the venue owners who objected to Macklemore performing.
Both concerts were ultimately cancelled because of severe weather warnings as a powerful nor’easter moved along the United States’ East Coast.
Gillette Stadium said the decision was taken after consultations with local officials and was based on the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows.
Ticket holders were offered refunds through their original points of purchase.
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