Ed Sheeran was the target of a scathing joke during SNL UK‘s opening monologue on Saturday night. Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg, who was making her hosting debut, told the crowd she had been “incredibly privileged” to interview stars like Idris Elba and Cher, “and even a world-famous, red-headed puppet with a hand up his arse telling him what to say.”
After a photo of her interviewing Sesame Street‘s Elmo appeared on screen, Dimoldenberg delivered the punchline: “No, the other one.” A graphic of her with Ed Sheeran then appeared, drawing laughs and cheers from the audience. The Ed Sheeran SNL UK joke was a direct reference to the fallout from his tour axing opener Macklemore after his pro-Palestine remarks, and the studio audience appeared to be firmly on Dimoldenberg’s side.
Sheeran has been under fire since Macklemore was removed from his Loop Tour earlier this month. He stated that the decision was “the promoter’s decision, not mine” and later apologized to fans at his Philadelphia concert, saying he had tried to stay quiet on his feelings but that Israel’s response to the October 7 attack was “unjustifiable” and “disproportionate.” He was set to perform two shows at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium this weekend, but those dates were canceled due to a nor’easter.
