Jeremy Clarkson has criticised Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain after she shared a video accusing Ed Sheeran of crying 'white tears'.
Sheeran has faced the biggest backlash of his career after dropping Macklemore as the opening act from the US leg of his Loop tour for saying 'Free Palestine' on stage. The remaining support acts – Finneas O'Connell, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham – and Sheeran's backing band all dropped out of the tour in solidarity with the rapper and the 'Free Palestine' message.
The Shape of You singer continued with the tour, returning to the stage in Philadelphia last weekend where he broke down in front of fans after what he described as 'the worst week of his life'.
Hussain shares therapist's 'white tears' video
TV chef Hussain was among the many stars to criticise Sheeran, sharing a video by therapist Megan Cooper which called out his 'white tears'. Cooper said: 'We're all waking up to Ed Sheeran's statement on stage, and I'm not going to go into what he said, but I do want to focus on one specific point. For those of us in white bodies, we need to understand and educate ourselves on white tears. White tears [are] a cultural tactic using emotion, consciously or unconsciously, to deflect accountability, to gain sympathy, and to centre self in conflict and challenge, particularly during discussions around racism and oppression.'
She went on: 'Our emotion is now prized above the actual issue, in this case, genocide. What this shines a light on is whose tears get to be seen, listened to, and heard in our society, and whose don't.'
Clarkson's response
Clarkson called out the reference to 'white tears' in his latest column for The Sun. He wrote: 'Former Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has shared a video accusing Ed of crying “white tears” during his tearful apology for whatever it is he's done. White tears? I'm at a loss I'm afraid. I have literally no idea what's meant by this.'
The former The Grand Tour host also joked 'lefties do get their knickers in a right old twist, don't they?' Clarkson previously defended Sheeran, accusing critics of 'bullying' the global superstar. 'They want him to sound off on Palestine, and because he's not really that sort of person, the keyboard warriors have sent him to Coventry,' he said.
Tour cancellations and Macklemore's response
Sheeran's tour was dealt another blow yesterday when he was forced to cancel his shows at the Robert Kraft-owned Gillette Stadium after all. In a statement, Messina Touring announced: 'Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and New England throughout the weekend and following consultation with local officials, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium. The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.'
Macklemore – real name Ben Haggerty – previously said Sheeran was given an 'ultimatum' by Kraft, ordering his removal from the tour, or else the Galway Girl vocalist would not be allowed to play at Gillette Stadium. The Can't Hold Us rapper has since announced a Free Palestine tour and donated his entire $1million fee from the Loop Tour to humanitarian aid organisations working with the Palestinian people.
In a statement on Instagram, he wrote: 'If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it's that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.' Referring to Sheeran's stance that he prefers to stay out of politics, Macklemore said: 'It's 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore. People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it. What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention. So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit.'
The rapper will be joined by special guests at three huge shows playing in London, Dublin and Paris.
