Ed Sheeran became the subject of a sharp joke during the opening monologue of "SNL UK" on Saturday night, with host Amelia Dimoldenberg comparing him to a puppet controlled by others.
Dimoldenberg, known for hosting "Chicken Shop Date," told the studio audience, "I've been 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 arse telling him what to say," according to TMZ.com.
A photo of Dimoldenberg interviewing "Sesame Street" character Elmo then appeared on screen, prompting her to clarify, "No, the other one." A subsequent graphic showing Dimoldenberg with Sheeran elicited laughter and cheers from the crowd, as reported by TMZ.com.
The joke referenced the controversy surrounding Sheeran's decision to remove opener Macklemore from his tour following Macklemore's pro-Palestine remarks. The "SNL UK" audience appeared to support Dimoldenberg's perspective, according to TMZ.com.
Sheeran had previously stated that Macklemore's removal was "the promoter's decision, not mine," as reported earlier by TMZ.com. He later issued an apology to fans regarding the rapper's controversial firing during his Philadelphia concert last week.
Sheeran also shared that after attempting to remain quiet about his feelings, he considered Israel's response to the "horrific" October 7 massacre to be "unjustifiable" and "disproportionate," according to TMZ.com.
Separately, Sheeran had been scheduled to perform two concerts at Robert Kraft's Gillette Stadium this weekend, but those performances were called off because of a nor'easter, as first reported by TMZ.com.