Ed Sheeran has been criticised as 'ignorant' after a resurfaced podcast clip sparked debate about British drinking culture. The 35-year-old singer, speaking on an old episode of Theo Von's podcast, compared drinking habits in the UK and US, leading to hundreds of social media users weighing in.
What Ed Sheeran said
During the interview, Sheeran said: 'I'm generalising, not everyone loves drinking. But I would say, like, 80% of people in England love a beer.' He contrasted American sports bars where people go to get 'dribbly drunk' with the UK, where 'it's a regular thing… to have maybe one or two pints at the end of a workday.'
He added: 'And then maybe on a Friday you'll have, like, six pints, a bottle of wine, you'll go out and do the shots… but it's far more just part of the culture to do it regularly.' Sheeran claimed it's 'not alcoholism to drink every day here (in England)', whereas in America, 'if you drank every day, it'd be alcoholism'. A crew member interjected that 'every event' is treated 'with a beer'.
Sheeran reiterated: 'But it's not alcoholism – it's the culture, I should say. It's not like I wake up every morning like, “I need a beer tonight.”' He also defended Ireland against 'misconceptions', saying he doesn't like how people view it as 'an alcoholic country'. He recalled having his first beer at '12, 13' and learning to manage alcohol by 16.
Backlash on social media
The clip, which went viral on X, drew criticism from many users. @GaryMorton91799 wrote: '6 pints and a bottle of wine could raise blood alcohol to as much as 0.40%+. You could black out, finding out the next day that you committed a terrible crime you can't remember. It is also at the threshold of alcohol poisoning.'
@civil_savage86 called Ed 'ignorant', explaining: 'Having 2 or 3 drinks every day in America isn't considered alcoholism. Drinking to the point where it interferes with other aspects of your life (relationships, work, etc) is alcoholism, and that's true regardless of what side of the pond you're on.'
'Calling an addiction “culture” is crazy', said @Skeezyy77, while @fidgetsfive wrote: 'That's called functional alcoholism'. @wck47l added: 'My ex-husband became a chronic, violent alcoholic who drank himself to death. He started out saying something similar.' @uncle_finesse remarked: 'Brother in Christ, have you ever stopped to consider that your culture might be one of alcoholism?'
Brits defend Sheeran
Some British voices joined in, including Piers Morgan, who laughed: 'We Brits just have a stronger constitution than Americans, @edsheeran – ironically.' Others said Sheeran is 'absolutely right' or was describing 'London drinking culture' specifically.
Sheeran's own drinking history
The singer has previously spoken about his drinking. He once consumed up to 10 pints a night and told Apple Music's Zane Lowe he 'loved drinking'. Before the birth of his first daughter, Lyra, his wife Cherry Seaborn asked: 'If my waters break, do you really want someone else to drive me to the hospital?' Sheeran later told Rolling Stone: 'I was like, “No, actually, I really don't.” And I don't ever want to be p***ed holding my kid. Ever, ever.'
However, he hasn't committed to sobriety forever. He said: 'Having a couple of beers is one thing. But having a bottle of vodka is another thing. I love red wine, and I love beer. I don't know any old rockers that aren't alcoholics or sober, and I didn't want to be either.'
Alcohol guidelines
The NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, spread over three or more days. The legal drinking age is 18 in the UK, 21 in the US, and varies in Canada.
