Amelia Dimoldenberg mocked Ed Sheeran as a 'puppet' during her opening monologue as host of Saturday Night Live UK, the latest in a series of jokes targeting the singer on the show.
The 32-year-old Chicken Shop Dates star hosted the third episode of series two this weekend. In her monologue, she reflected on her career and interviews, saying: 'I've been incredibly privileged to have done so many interviews with people like Idris Elba, Cher, and even a world-famous redheaded puppet with a hand up his a**e telling him what to say.'
A photo of her with Elmo the Muppet appeared on screen, prompting Dimoldenberg to clarify: 'No, the other one.' The image then switched to one of her with Sheeran, 35, who has faced backlash over his response to rapper Macklemore being removed from his USA tour.
Social Media Reactions
Viewers took to social media to share their reactions to the joke. X user MiaDDBZ wrote: 'They ate this,' while Dilir2003 said Dimoldenberg 'cooked him harder than fried chicken.' Another user, wirelyss, joked: 'Crazy they invented a UK version of SNL just to dunk on Ed Sheeran,' and oguemma77 described the moment as 'brutal.'
The joke comes a week after SNL targeted Sheeran during its cold open and Weekend Update sections. Last week, a version of Sheeran played by Annabel Marlow appeared to discuss AI dangers, saying: 'I was just outside sitting on the fence' and 'When it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all.'
Weekend Update Jabs and Tour Cancellation
During Ania Magliano and Paddy Young's Weekend Update, Magliano joked about the Macklemore controversy being 'the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury.' Young took a personal jab at Sheeran's lazy eye and described the singer as 'a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed.'
Earlier this week, it was revealed that shows at the Robert Kraft-owned Gillette Stadium would not go ahead. Sheeran had been set to perform at the Foxborough, Massachusetts, stadium on Friday and Saturday, but the gigs were cancelled due to bad weather.
The cancellation follows a difficult period for Sheeran, who faced backlash from fans and industry peers. Supporting acts and his own backing band dropped out of the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and his 'free Palestine' message. Macklemore, real name Ben Haggerty, said his long-time friend had been given an 'ultimatum' by billionaire Kraft, who threatened the tour would not continue at Gillette Stadium as long as Macklemore remained on the line-up. Sheeran clarified the decision had not been his but the tour's promoters'.
Last week, a tearful Sheeran addressed the controversy on stage, apologising for how the situation developed. He told the crowd: 'In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it's been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.' He also said he was 'deeply worried' venues would start to 'pre-approve' artists or their content.
Macklemore's Response and Next Steps
Macklemore has not publicly commented on Sheeran's statement but has announced a Free Palestine tour in Dublin, Paris and London next month, with all proceeds going towards the Palestinian people and movement. In an Instagram post, he wrote: 'It's 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore.'
Metro has contacted Ed Sheeran's representatives for comment. Saturday Night Live UK returns to Sky One and streaming service NOW TV on Saturday, October 3.
