Amelia Dimoldenberg Mocks Ed Sheeran as 'Red-Headed Puppet' Amid Macklemore Controversy

Comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg has criticized singer Ed Sheeran, calling him a "red-headed puppet" during her monologue on Saturday Night Live UK. Her remarks targeted Sheeran's decision to remove rapper Macklemore from his Loop Tour following pro-Palestine statements made by the artist.

Dimoldenberg, hosting the show, alluded to her past interviews with celebrities, humorously describing one as with a "world-famous, red-headed puppet with a hand up his a**e telling him what to say." An image of Elmo appeared on screen before being replaced by one of Sheeran, indicating her critique was directed at the British singer.

Sheeran has faced significant backlash for dropping Macklemore from his tour after the rapper made remarks at his New Jersey shows and released a song condemning Israel's actions in Gaza. In response to Macklemore's dismissal, other opening acts and his backing band announced they were leaving the tour in solidarity with the rapper and Palestine.

Sheeran himself has since apologized for his handling of the situation, reading from a teleprompter on stage. He stated that he had tried to keep politics out of his music but felt compelled to address the situation in Gaza, describing it as "catastrophic and unjustifiable," and the October 7 attacks by Hamas as "horrific."

He told a crowd of 50,000 in Philadelphia that the past week had been "one of the worst weeks of my life" but that the show had become "one of the weirdest days" and "the best show of my life." He expressed uncertainty about continuing the tour or his career.

"I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity and not division, about humanity and not politics," Sheeran said. "But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore."

Sheeran explained that he decided to continue the tour after seeing an increase in ticket sales, noting that while friends and family advised him to cancel, "50,000 people who haven't abandoned me" were in attendance.

Macklemore has announced a series of "Free Palestine" concerts in Dublin, Paris, and London, with proceeds benefiting organizations that support the Palestinian people. He stated that his schedule had "freed up a bit" following his removal from Sheeran's tour, adding that "being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore."

He criticized the "billionaire class" for attempting to censor calls for a Free Palestine and emphasized the need for artists to use their platforms for more than just entertainment.

Sheeran returned to the stage visibly emotional, apologizing for beginning his show with political statements. He noted that families may not have expected to hear such discourse at a concert. He expressed gratitude for the audience's support, calling it a source of hope in a "scary" world.

"My shows are about this," he said. "They are about people coming together that don't know each other, that have different beliefs. They're about unity. They're about love. They're about family."

He also explained modifications to his stage setup, expressing concern about potential negative reactions from the crowd. Sheeran highlighted the efforts of a new group of musicians who stepped in to perform with him after his usual backing band withdrew, noting they agreed to join despite the potential for public backlash.