Amelia Dimoldenberg used her Saturday Night Live UK monologue to criticise Ed Sheeran, calling him a "red-headed puppet" in a scathing address. The presenter, known for Chicken Shop Date, took aim at the singer amid the fallout from Macklemore being removed from his LOOP Tour.
Monologue takes aim at Sheeran
During her hosting duties, Dimoldenberg mocked Sheeran's tearful on-stage speech, which appeared to be read from a teleprompter. She said: "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 a**e telling him what to say."
The comments follow Sheeran's first show back after the controversy, where he was seen reading a pre-written statement. He apologised for his decisions, saying: "I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry for them."
Sheeran's statement on the conflict
In his speech, Sheeran addressed the wider political context, saying he had never wanted to be an activist musician but had been placed in the middle of a debate about freedom of speech. He described the October 7 attack on Israel and the Nova music festival as "horrific" and called the situation in Gaza "catastrophic and unjustifiable".
The backlash began when rapper Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, shouted "Free Palestine" during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. He claimed this led to his removal from Sheeran's tour. In support, all of Sheeran's other support acts and his band also pulled out.
Sheeran denies involvement
Sheeran initially released a statement online insisting he had no part in Macklemore's removal, saying it was the promoter's decision. He wrote on Instagram: "I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care."
Macklemore has since announced his own Free Palestine tour, which is set to begin next month.
