British comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg roasted Ed Sheeran as a world-famous red-headed puppet during her September 26 opening monologue on Saturday Night Live UK, drawing fresh attention to the musician’s ongoing tour controversy following the removal of opening act Macklemore over pro-Palestine remarks.
Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Monologue and the Red-Headed Puppet Joke on Saturday Night Live UK
During the September 26 broadcast of the British sketch show spinoff, host Amelia Dimoldenberg used her opening speech to reflect on the conclusion of her popular YouTube interview series, Chicken Shop Date, which she recently announced would conclude after more than 12 years of awkward, deadpan dates at chicken shops with celebrities like Paul McCartney, Jack Harlow, Charli xcx, Rosalía, Yungblud, Idris Elba, and Cher, before shifting targets to the singer. I'm 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— telling him what to say,
Dimoldenberg told the audience. Dimoldenberg then gestured for a different photo, saying, No, the other one,
as an image of her alongside Sheeran flashed on the screen, recalling Sheeran’s appearance on her interview series in November 2021.
The Macklemore Tour Fallout and Robert Kraft’s Pressure
The late-night jab follows weeks of industry fallout stemming from Sheeran’s Loop Tour. Rapper Macklemore was removed from the tour after saying “free Palestine” during his set at recent New Jersey shows, with all of Sheeran’s opening acts and his backing band then dropping out. The controversy reportedly stemmed from Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, not wanting Macklemore to perform at his venue and pressuring Ed to remove Macklemore from his Loop Tour following the rapper’s comments on stage.
Ed Sheeran’s Instagram Statement and Emotional Philadelphia Concert
Ed later spoke about the situation during a concert and became emotional while talking to fans, saying he did not want his shows to become about politics, but felt he could no longer stay quiet, and speaking about the suffering in Gaza.
Earlier Saturday Night Live UK Sketches Targeting the Singer
Saturday Night Live UK took aim at Ed Sheeran after the recent controversy involving his Loop tour, with the late-night show’s second season premiere opening with a sketch about King Charles and Princess Diana that ended up focusing on Sheeran’s inability to pick a side. In the sketch, Charles, played by Larry Dean, is given a new AI bot by a pair of tech billionaires (Celeste Dring and Freddie Meredith) at Buckingham Palace, after which Annabel Marlow as Sheeran chimes in: “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I was just outside sitting on the fence. Thing is, Your Majesty, I don’t like to take sides. I don’t want to alienate any of my fans, humans or robots. A lot of my tickets are bought by scalping bots. You know, sometimes, when it comes to conflicts, the bravest thing you can do is to say nothing at all.” The faux Sheeran then sings a song about how both sides can be equally right.
Later on the episode, SNL UK’s “Weekend Updatetook aim at multiple people, but the person on the receiving end of the most jokes was Ed Sheeran.
Sheeran’s support act Macklemore was dropped after saying ‘Free Palestine’ on stage,said cast member Ania Magliano in the clip, adding,
Will Sheeran have to cancel the tour? There’s a very real risk that he won’t. Genuinely though, this crisis is the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury.”