‘SNL UK’ Satirizes Ed Sheeran’s Refusal to Take a Side During Tour Controversy

Saturday Night Live UK opened its second season with a sketch that turned the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour into political satire. Although the opening segment revolved around King Charles and Princess Diana, much of its humor centered on Sheeran’s reluctance to take a clear position.

The sketch is set at Buckingham Palace, where Charles, played by Larry Dean, is presented with a new AI assistant by two tech billionaires, portrayed by Celeste Dring and Freddie Meredith. The device is introduced as a “Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android,” or “DIANA.” When the system goes rogue and shoots the billionaires, Charles declares, “We must do everything we can to resist.”

“Or maybe we shouldn’t,” responds Annabel Marlow as Sheeran. “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 fictional Sheeran then sings a song arguing that both sides of the conflict may be equally right.

Later in the episode, “Weekend Update,” hosted by cast members Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, returned to the Sheeran controversy. “This crisis is the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury,” Magliano joked. Young added, “Say what you want about Ed, but he has always been a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed.”

Trending Stories

Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s Loop Tour after several venues warned the singer they would not permit shows to go ahead if the Seattle rapper remained on the bill. Macklemore had drawn intense criticism from pro-Israel groups after two MetLife Stadium concerts, during which he expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, shouted “Free Palestine,” shared images of the devastation caused by Israel’s war in Gaza, and performed “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song about pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University.

The rest of the tour’s support lineup subsequently withdrew, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Lewis.

Sheeran went ahead with his Loop Tour in Philadelphia on Saturday night and addressed the backlash directly. “I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” the singer told the audience. “My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour.”

Source link