Watch ‘SNL UK’ Skewer Ed Sheeran for ‘Sitting on the Fence’

Saturday Night Live UK took aim at Ed Sheeran after the recent controversy involving his Loop tour. The late-night show’s second season premiere opened 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 (Jack Shep) by pair of tech billionaires (Celeste Dring and Freddie Meredith) at Buckingham Palace. The bot is a “Deeply Intelligent, Autonomous, Neurokinetic Android,” a.ka. “DIANA.” The AI goes rogue and shoots the billionaires, leading Charles to say, “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 faux Sheeran then sings a song about how both sides can be equally right.

Later on the episode, “Weekend Update,” hosted by cast members Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, again focused on Sheeran. “This crisis is the worst thing that has happened to Ed Sheeran fans since their head injury,” Magliano quipped. Young added, “Say what you want about Ed, but he has always been a passionate advocate of causes that are allowed.”
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Ed Sheeran Breaks Silence on Israel-Gaza at First Show Amid Tour Controversy: 'I Cannot Hide How I Feel About It Anymore'

Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s Loop Tour last week after several venues told Sheeran they would not allow gigs to take place if the Seattle rapper was still on the bill. Macklemore was heavily criticized by pro-Israel groups for his actions at two shows at MetLife Stadium, where he expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, shouted “Free Palestine,” shared images of the devastation from Israel’s war in Gaza, and performed his protest song, “Hind’s Hall,” about pro-Palestine demonstrators at Columbia University. All of Sheeran’s supporting acts from his Loop Tour subsequently dropped off the bill, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Row.

Sheeran continued his tour in Philadelphia on Saturday night. During the show, he addressed the controversy. “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.”