Nadia Sawalha has said Ed Sheeran "chose the side of genocide" in the row over US rapper Macklemore being dropped from his tour. The Loose Women star, 61, said the singer's handling of the controversy had been "quite extraordinary".
Macklemore dropped from tour
Macklemore was due to support the Shape of You hitmaker on a string of dates on his US Loop tour. But he was dropped after shouting "Free Palestine" during a concert in New Jersey on September 4.
The tour promoter later said venue owners had refused to host shows if Macklemore was on the bill. Sheeran said the decision had not been his and that he had tried to find a solution.
Days later, Sheeran apologised for how he had handled the row, saying he had made "mistakes". He also described Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza as "catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate".
Sawalha's reaction
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Nadia said: "He made an apology at the beginning of the show, and then at the end he apologised for his apology, which I did think was quite extraordinary. I thought, wow, that's a leap. He did choose a side. He chose the side of genocide."
The Mirror recently reported that Sheeran has been left devastated by the events and confided in pals: "I feel so alone." The star sobbed on stage during his show last Saturday. He admitted he had made "mistakes" and condemned the conflict in Gaza as "catastrophic" and "unjustifiable".
He said: "I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me, I didn't know if people would be angry with me. So today I apologise that today is not the usual Loop show, I took the b-stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that."
The English singer said he had tried in the past not to be a "political commentator" because he wanted his shows to be about "unity".
Parallel with ITV dispute
Former EastEnders actress, Sawalha added that what happened to Macklemore has reminded her of her own experience with ITV. "It's the same thing that happened," she said. "A whole load of complaints come in and then you're taken off. There's a real parallel here."
Nadia has been locked in a dispute with ITV since being taken off Loose Women, the daytime show she first joined when it launched in 1999.
The star claims she was pushed out because of her outspoken support for Palestinians. ITV has previously declined to comment on her claims.
Her lawyers sent the broadcaster a pre-action letter this summer, alleging she had been discriminated against and harassed because of her beliefs.
Nadia told this newspaper in August that there was "a huge risk I will never work in television again" after taking action against ITV.
She also said she had been told about a 20-page dossier of complaints against her but had not been allowed to see or answer the allegations.
Legal battle and future
Nadia has claimed that ITV has sent her data she requested about herself going back to late 2023 including an open letter that raised complaints about her social media posts on Israel and Gaza and was signed by former senior figures from across the TV industry.
But she could not bring herself to read it because she feared seeing what people she knew may have said about her. Her film producer husband, Mark Adderley, had to read it for her.
She said: "My husband looked at it and said, 'Oh my god, it looks like the Epstein files, it's so redacted.' So even the open letter that was written about me, we couldn't read it."
Nadia said they are now "waiting to see what our legal team do next".
Speaking at an event hosted by fabÜ health brand founder Laura Dowling, where Top Sante magazine launched its October issue, Nadia also said she feels "really free" since leaving Loose Women and no longer wants to return.
"Wild horses couldn't drag me back to go back now," she added.
She now believes her days on mainstream television are over, declaring: "I don't think I'll work on any TV again."
But Nadia admitted taking action against ITV has also come at a huge cost.
"Financially, it's incredibly difficult," she said. "I'm not a rich person. Me and my husband have looked after people all through our lives because we believe if you have good fortune, you share it. So we haven't been big savers.
But I genuinely feel the richest I've ever felt in my life because I have absolute commitment and belief."
She added that she has also turned down "big, big jobs" with brands after looking into them and deciding she did not agree with what they stood for.
"I get tempted," she said. "Like, oh my god, that really would be... but I just can't do it."
The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.
